For my sixth CELTA teaching practice, I taught a reading lesson at Upper-Intermediate level, built around the theme of dying and endangered languages. This was a rich and thought-provoking topic, and one that resonated deeply with me as a South African aware of how many Indigenous languages at home are at risk of disappearing.
Lesson Overview
The lesson aimed to help students read for gist and specific information, while also discussing how languages can disappear or be revived. The class worked with a text that explored three real examples:
- Bo, a language from the Andaman Islands that died with its last speaker, Boa Sr.
- N|u, a nearly extinct southern African language with only a handful of remaining speakers.
- Wampanoag, a Native American language successfully brought back to life by linguist Jessie Little Doe.
Using a combination of reading tasks, vocabulary matching, and discussion, students first read for general understanding and then revisited the text for detail. Later, they practised fluency through discussion questions such as:
“Imagine you could ask Boa Sr, Hannah Cooper, and Jessie Little Doe one question each — what would you ask them, and why?”
Tutor Feedback
My tutor described this as an “above standard” lesson for this stage of the course. They highlighted that the context was well set, my staging was logical, and I used breakout rooms effectively to encourage peer interaction.
Key strengths noted included:
- Clear connection between the topic and students’ lives.
- Smooth transition from gist to detail tasks.
- Strong vocabulary support and pronunciation practice.
However, my tutor also suggested several areas for continued development:
- Hand over more responsibility to students, especially during vocabulary clarification.
- Use CCQs more consistently to confirm understanding of meaning.
- Manage pacing carefully to leave more time for the final discussion and feedback stages.
My Reflection
This was my final receptive skills lesson, and I felt it showed how much I had grown since TP1. I was confident in using multiple digital materials — a PowerPoint, Word and PDF handouts, and live screen sharing — to make the lesson accessible for everyone.
My personal aims for the next lesson were to:
- Limit breakout rooms to two (for smoother pacing).
- Allow “thinking time” before discussions.
- Create a student-centred vocabulary section to reduce teacher talk.
All three aims were met successfully, and I noticed a real improvement in the quality of student discussion. That said, I still found myself rushed at points and aware that I need more practice with on-the-spot corrections — especially with fluent learners who move on quickly in conversation.
Next Steps
As I moved forward, my goals were to:
- Continue refining timing and stage pacing.
- Integrate CCQs and ICQs more naturally, without breaking flow.
- Build confidence with error correction, balancing immediacy and politeness.
- Explore new ways to make feedback more interactive and reflective at the end of lessons.
