DELTA MODULE 2 LSA BACKGROUND ESSAYS

Formulating Titles
1) Decide on a specific area of a system or skill as per column 2 in the box below.
2) Narrow your scope by level, L1, context, text type/genre etc as per column 3 below.
3) If you wish, decide on an introductory phrase to your title, as per column 1 below.
INTRODUCTORY PHRASE
Learning
Teaching
Raising Learners Awareness of
Improving

Note: Avoid making any actual approaches or teaching

techniques etc the actual topic of your essay. This
introductory phrase is merely to complement the actual
area of analysis in column 2. Approaches and
techniques should be left to the Suggestions for
Teaching section of the essay.

AREA
Diphthongs
Referencing in Written Discourse
Conditionals
High Frequency Verb-Noun Collocations
Bottom-Up Reading
Listening Comprehension Skills
Turn Taking
Paragraphing
Features of Connected Speech
The Perfect Aspect
Affixation
Skimming and Scanning
Conversation Strategies
Spoken Discourse Markers

SCOPE
At Lower Levels.
At Higher Levels.
For Elementary Level Learners.
For Arabic Learners of English.
For YLs (5-7 yrs).
For IELTS Preparation Learners.
For Multi-Lingual Classes.
In Informal Conversation.
In Academic English.
For Telephone English.

The result will be something like:

Diphthongs for Arabic Learners of English

Paragraphing Skills for Lower Levels
Improving Bottom-Up Reading Skills for Elementary Level Learners
Raising Learners Awareness of Affixation in Academic English

Avoid:
1) Making an approach/technique/methodology the focus: e.g. Teaching Process Writing to EAP Learners, Implementing The Lexical Approach for Higher
Levels
2) A title with no connection at all to the group you are working with: e.g. High Frequency Phrasal Verbs for Lower Levels (when your learners are advanced)
3) Going too narrow: e.g. The Full Stop in Academic Written Texts
4) Going too wide: Reading Texts in the English Classroom
5) Something that doesnt match up: e.g. Mixed Conditionals for Young Learners (5-7 years)
6) Going with an individual lesson, especially one of your old favourites that you might be desperate to teach: e.g. Teaching used to to Pre-Intermediate
Thai Learners of General English in an EFL Context

LSA ASSIGNMENT CHECKLIST

Background Essay
Presentation

Cover sheet with assignment title, candidate name,

candidate number, word count and date of submission

Contents page

Uses headings and sub-headings

Running footer with candidate name and essay title

Page numbering

Content

Introduction (around 200 words)

State the focus & provide a rationale for choice of topic

Analysis & Issues section(s) (around 1200 words)

Reference to (at least 5) sources included throughout

Footnote references

Suggestions for teaching (around 800 words)

Bibliography (alphabetically by author)

Appendices

DELTA LSA ASSIGNMENT

ASSIGNMENT TITLE:
WORDCOUNT:
DATE OF SUBMISSION:
CANDIDATE NAME:
CENTRE NUMBER:
(Please note footer below)

CONTENTS PAGE

(Page numbers must be included for each of these)

INTRODUCTION

ANALYSIS
Break this down by points

ISSUES
Break these down by points which correspond to the points of the analysis

SUGGESTIONS FOR TEACHING

Break these down by points which correspond to the points of the issues and the analysis

BIBLIOGRAPHY

APPENDICES

INTRODUCTION (200 words)

In this section you should state the focus of the essay and provide reasons for your choice of topic.
See pages 61/62 of the Handbook for more information on clarity of topic.
ANALYSIS (approx 600 words)
Checklist:

Is the analysis relevant to the focus of the essay?

Is the analysis focused on language systems/skills (i.e. not methodology)?
Does the analysis contain accurate information?
Does the analysis contain reference to a range of sources?
Is the analysis specific?
Are key terms clearly defined?
Is there sufficient exemplification to support points made?
Does the analysis include evaluation/comment on reading/research?

Appropriate terminology should be used, terms should be defined and definitions should be supported
with examples.
You should aim to refer to at least three different sources. See page 62 of the Handbook for
referencing guidelines.
The analysis should be a synthesis of views rather than a disjointed list of points from different texts
you have consulted. You should comment on what you have read, thereby including your own voice in
the essay.
ISSUES (approx 600 words)
Outline a range of different kinds of problems which refer to the language/skills you are researching.
For example, consider the influence of different learners L1s; level; or consider different learning
contexts and discuss the influence of learner motivation. Outline the problems in sufficient detail and
give examples from your own experience/observation as well as your background reading/research.
Signpost the problems for the reader. For example, in systems assignments, organise the problems
around the headings of meaning/use, form and pronunciation while in the skills assignments, organise
problems under the subskills or match them back to points made in the analysis.
Key issues could be integrated with the previous analysis section, e.g. each section of analysis could
follow on with a look at problems related to that area of analysis. In the next section, the suggestions
for teaching section, there should be at least one way of addressing each issue in the classroom.
Checklist:

Are the problems outlined all pertinent to the points made in the previous analysis section?
Have I referred to my own experience and what learners have told me?
Have I given an example for each problem?
Have I referred to the influence of learners L1 on language or skills development?
Have I outlined an appropriate number of problems?
Have I outlined a range of different kinds of problems?

See page 62 of the Handbook for more information on the problems/issues section.
SUGGESTIONS FOR TEACHING (approx 800 words)
In this section, you need to look at suggestions for teaching your chosen area of focus. There should be
at least one way of addressing each issue from the issues/problems section. Therefore, you can
optionally integrate this section into the earlier two sections. Either way, there should be a clear
following through from Analysis Issues Suggestions. You may need to use a referencing point
system to show this follow through if you do not integrate these three sections.
Refer to published materials, your own activities, procedures, techniques and resources, give an
example for each suggestion made and briefly describe how you would use it with learners. By limiting
the number of suggestions, you should be able to provide a sufficient amount of detail. Actual
materials can be provided as an appendix.
Ensure that there is a balance of focus and a range of teacher and learner activity.
Include an evaluation of the effectiveness of the chosen procedure, technique, resource or material,
making reference to your own experience or how the learners would benefit from the activity.
Checklist:

Suggestions are outlined in sufficient detail in terms of how the teacher would use them.
There is a sufficient number of suggestions outlined.
There is a sufficient range of suggestions outlined.
The suggestions outlined relate back to the analysis and/or problems mentioned in the earlier
parts of the essay.
Suggestions are made for all the problems previously outlined.
There is reference to published materials relevant to the focus of the essay.
There is discussion of/reference to examples of materials included in the appendices.
When outlining techniques, examples are given.
When discussing procedures, examples are given.
When discussing resources which could be used, there is a description as to how they could be
used.
There is critical evaluation on how the techniques, procedures, resources or materials would
help the learners overcome problems.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
This should be presented in alphabetical order of authors surname. Year of publication and publisher
should be included. It can only include publications referred to in the assignment.

Referencing must be included in-text.

There must not be any footnotes at the bottom of the page or the end of the assignment.
When referring to a source, the authors surname and the year of publication should be given in
parenthesis, e.g. (Lightbrown and Spada 1993)
Direct quotes must be referenced with authors surname, year of publication and page number,
like this (Lightbrown and Spada 1993:203)

APPENDIX

This should not be used for text which would be better in the main body of the assignment. Appendices
can include copies of materials or resources referred to in the suggestions for teaching section.