Glossary of ELT Terms (English Language Teaching)

The aspirants of TET-cum-TRT are supposed to be equipped

with the knowledge of the following ELT (English Language 1. Achievement Test: It is a test which meaTeaching) terms which are very useful in answering questions sures how much of a language someone has pertaining to English Methodology. So an attempt has been learned with reference to a particular course made here to give a comprehensive picture of some important of study or programme of an institution. ★ For example an achievement test might be a terminology pertaining to English Methodology. listening comprehension test based on a particular set of dialogues in a text book. This test helps the teacher to judge the success of his or her teaching and to identify the weaknesses of his or her students. 2. Alphabetic Method: It is a method of teaching children to read. Children are taught the words can be used together, for example, names of the letters of the alphabet. which prepositions are used with particular a- 'ay', b - 'bee', c- 'see' etc. verbs, or which verbs and nouns are used together. ★ When the children see a new or unfamiliar word, eg. 'bag', they repeat the letter names ★ e.g. Powerful tea - incorrect expression - 'bee ay gee'. It is thought that the 'spelling' Strong tea - correct expression of the word helps the child to recognise it. ★ In the above example the words 'powerful' English - Methodology 3. Alveolar: This describes a speech sound (a and 'tea' do not collocate but 'strong tea' is consonant) which is produced by the front of said to be the right collocation of the words. the tongue touching or nearly touching the 14. Consonant: Consonant is a speech sound 9. Bound morpheme: It is linguistic form (morgum ridge behind the upper teeth. In English where the air stream from the lungs is either pheme) which is never used alone but must the / t / in / tin / - tin and the /d / in / din / - din completely blocked (stop), partially blocked be used with another morpheme (the smallest are alveolar stops. (lateral) or where the opening is to narrow meaningful unit in a language). For example 4. Approach: Language teaching is somethat the air escapes with audible friction the English suffix 'ing' must be used with a times discussed in terms of three closely (fricative). With some consonants (Nasals) verb eg. writing, loving, playing, driving. related aspects: approach - method the air stream is blocked in the mouth but ★ A form which can be used on its - technique. allowed to escape through the nose. own is called a free morpheme ★ Different theories about the nature ★ With the other group of speech sounds, the eg. horse, red, write, drive. of language and how languages are vowels, the air from the lungs is not worked. 10. Cloze procedure: A techlearned (the approach) imply differnique for measuring reading com15. Content Word ent ways of teaching language (the prehension. In a cloze test words ★ Words can be divided into two classes: conmethod) and different methods are removed from a reading pastent words and function words. make use of different kinds of classsage at regular intervals leaving ★ Content words are words which refer to a room activities (the technique). S. Rahamathulla blanks. For example every fifth thing, quality, state or action and which have 5. Audio-lingual Method: It is a word may be removed. The readmeaning when the words are used alone. method of foreign or second language teacher must then read the passage and try to guess Content words are mainly nouns, verbs, ing which emphasises the teaching of speakthe missing words. adjectives and adverbs. Eg. fruit, run, happy, ing and listening before reading and writing. ★ Example: A passage used in .... cloze test is fast. Function words are those which have litThis method emphasises the use of diaa ... of written material in .... words have been tle meaning on their own. Eg. Conjunction, logues and drills and discourages the use of regularly ... . The pupils must then ... to reconPrepositions, Articles. Content Words are mother tongue in the class room. This is othstruct the passage ... filling in the missing ... also called lexical words or full words. erwise called as aural- oral method. (a, passage, which, removed, try, by, words) 16. Curriculum: It is an educational pro6. Authentic Materials: Texts / excerpts from 11. Coherence: Coherence is the unifying elegramme which states: Newspapers, magazines, books etc., which ment in good writing. It refers to the unity crea) the educational purpose of the programme have not been primarily written for English ated between the ideas, sentences, parab) the content, teaching procedures and learnLanguage Teaching purpose. But these graphs and sections of a piece of writing. ing experiences which will be necessary to could be used in ELT for effective learning. 12. Cohesion: Cohesion refers to the gramachieve this purpose. 7. Bilingual: Bilingual is a person who knows matical or lexical relationships between the c) some means for assessing whether or not and uses two languages equally well. A true different elements of a text. The relationthe educational ends have been achieved. bilingual is described as a person who can ship may be between different sentences or jump from one language to another easily and 17. Deductive learning: This is a type of learnbetween different parts of a sentence. e.g: ing where the learners are taught rules and talk fluently about any situation in the mother A: Is Padma coming to the party? gives specific information about a lantongue or the target language with equal ease. guage. Then they apply these rules when B: Yes, she is. 8. Bilabial: Bilabial is a speech sound (a conthey use the language. sonant) which is produced by the two lips. 13. Collocation: It is the way in which particu★ This may be contrasted with inductive learnFor example in English the /p/ in /pin/- pin lar words tend to occur or being together. and the /b/ in /bin/ - bin are bilabial. ing or learning by induction in which learners Collocation refers to the restrictions on how are not given grammatical rules or other rules Model Questions directly but are left to discover or induce rules 3) Speaking 4) Listening from other experience of using the language. 6. The test which is administered to measure 1. Identify the purpose of rapid teaching. the skills acquired by the students during the 18. Diagnostic test 1) extended reading 2) seeking information course .... 3) for interest 4) for specific detail ★ It is a test administered to find out the 1) Proficiency Test 2) Aptitude Test strengths and weaknesses either at individ2. Formative Assessment is an assessment .... 3) Achievement Test 4) Placement Test ual or class level. Generally it is taken at the 1) of learning 2) at learning 7. Reading a passage from the Supplementary end of a particular unit. 3) in learning 4) on learning Reader for enjoyment and expansion of 19. Dicto-Comp: It is a technique used for 3. The term 'Comprehensive' in continuous information is called .... practising composition in language classes. and comprehensive evaluation means .... 1) Silent Reading 2) Intensive Reading A passage is read to a class and then the 1) Scholastic development 3) Extensive Reading 4) Self Reading students must write out what they under2) Co-scholastic development 8. Find out the lexical word from the following. stand and and remember from the passage. 3) Academic skills 1) some 2) whether 3) principal 4) if 20. Diphthong: A speech sound which is usu4) Scholastic and Co-scholastic development 9. The speech sound /ai/ in the /mai/ (my) is ally considered as one distinctive vowel of a 4. Fluency in English can be developed known as .... particular language but really involves two through .... vowels with one vowel gliding to the other. 1) Nasals 2) Diphthong 3) Vowel 4) Bilabial ★ For example, the diphthong /ai/ in the 1) creating opportunities to use the target 10. Paragraphs, Conversations etc. have largEnglish word 'my' / mai / which consists of language for communication er units of language. Such type of larger the vowel /a/ gliding into the vowel /i/. units of language can be termed as .... 2) the teacher talking for most of the time 21. Discourse: Discourse refers larger units of 1) drill 2) dialogue 3) the teacher being alert to spot the errors language such as paragraphs, conversa3) discourse 4) Dicto-comp and correct them. tions, interviews etc. 4) making the students to have a freedom to Answers 22. Drill: It is a technique commonly used in lanbe quiet. guage teaching for practising sounds or sen1-4 2-3 3-4 4-1 5-1 5. Alphabetic method is used in teaching .... tence patterns in a language based on guid6-3 7-3 8-3 9-2 10-3. 1) Reading 2) Writing ed repetition or practice. A drill which practis-

Formative Assessment refers to.. es some aspect of grammar or sentence formation is often known as 'pattern practice'. 23. English as a Foreign Language (EFL): English is taught as a subject and not used as a medium of instruction or as a means of communication within the country. 24. English as a Second Language (ESC): English is used for communication within the country as well as a medium of instruction in schools / universities. Sometimes the language is used by the government also. 25. English as a Link Language (ELL) in India: As India is multilingual, English plays a significant role in bringing together the various regions of the country by enabling them to share their thoughts in it. The Union Government and the State Govts. carry out their correspondence mostly in English. English is also the language of the Supreme Court of India. 26. English as Library Language (ELL) in India: English has been assigned the role of a library language in India. It is the key to the store house of knowledge. The Kothari Education Commission gave English the status of Library language. 27. Extensive Reading: Reading widely and in quantity to get a gist or general understanding is called extensive reading. It is taken up to develop good reading habits and build up the knowledge of Vocabulary, structure, style etc. Reading for pleasure and profit is the hall mark of extensive reading. 28. Formative Assessment ★ Formative Assessment refers to a wide variety of methods or techniques that teachers use to evaluate their students’ performance or progress during a lesson, unit or course. ★ Summative assessment is used to evaluate students' learning progress or achievement at the end of a unit, semester etc. ★ In other words Formative Assessments are 'for learning', while summative assessments are 'of learning'. 29. Homophones: A homophone is a word that is pronounced in the way as another word but differs in meaning. e.g. Cell - Sell 30. Homonyms: Homonyms are words that share the same spelling and the same pronunciation but have different meanings. e.g. ★ can (be able to) - can (a container) ★ bank (a financial organisation) bank (the river side) 31. Minimal Pairs: Minimal Pairs are the pairs of words or phrases in a particular language which differ in only one phonological element. e.g. pin - bin 32. Passive Vocabulary: There are certain words which we understand but do not use actively. Whenever we come across with these, we at once recognise them. So these are also called Recognition Vocabulary. 33. Scanning: Glancing rapidly through the text to find out some specific information. e.g. ★ Searching for the number in the telephone directory ★ Looking for the topic in the index 34. Skimming: It is a reading process where the reader reads quickly in order to find out the central idea/ gist/ substance of the text. Here the reader does not go for minute details but frames an overall impression.