Course Pretest

Lessons > Course Pretest

This pretest is optional, and its meant to help you gauge how much you already know about the subject matter of this course. If youd like, you could take the pretest now and then again after completing the course to compare your scores. 1. According to individuals like Vygotsky, children can learn by.

soaking up knowledge from adults

being filled with knowledge, like a big vessel

being guided by an adult in how to think

copying exactly what their older sisters and brothers do 2. Children learn a foreign or second language more successfully when ___.

they can listen to the language on recordings

it is presented through meaningful activities that they can take part in and which are meaningful for their age and ability level

it is taught to them through a grammar-based syllabus

it is presented in the same way that a language course for adults is presented 3. When we teach English to young learners, we need to remember that it is ___.

the same as teaching older and adult learners of English

very different from teaching older and adult learners of English

important to only teach them simple English

important for them to always take notes and write down the language we are teaching them 4. If a teacher wants to introduce a Listen and Do activity where students listen and carry out a craft activity, the teacher would be best advised to ____ .

provide students with a written translation of the instructions (in their first language) so they can understand all the English instructions

teach the language in context by demonstrating the activity step by step

pre-teach the key vocabulary and have a spelling test prior to the activity

show the students the end result and have them work in groups to try to produce the item 5. Which suggestion is most likely to encourage your young language learner to speak out in class?

Concentrate on your words and don't make any mistakes.

The best way to learn to speak is by being quiet and listening to your teacher.

If you can't think of the appropriate word, then use a gesture or facial expression to help get across your message.

Do not talk to your classmates in English class as they may not have the correct pronunciation. 6. The best reason for having students read comics in a language classroom is because ____.

they are an important part of pop culture

many students read them in their everyday lives

the language is likely to be the same as the language they read in their textbooks

students can read them when they need a break from their studies 7. The main reason we have very young learners do connect-the-dot activities in a pre-writing class is ___.

to let them have fun

to provide some quiet time for the teacher

because these are easy for children to do

to help them develop hand-eye coordination 8. Story markers or signposts in a story are helpful to language learners. They ___.

help students make predictions about what will happen next

are gestures that a teacher uses to help communicate meaning

are visual images that help communicate meaning

involve teachers pointing to the text as they read a story aloud 9. If you teach songs verse by verse (rather than line by line), your students will ___.

find it too difficult to learn the songs

likely learn all the words in the song after just singing it once or twice

find it easier to remember the flow and rhythm of the language in the song

not enjoy the song as much because they will be confused 10. Students will often be able to figure out how to play a game in the language class (after a brief explanation from the teacher) because ___.

the teacher will have translated all instructions into their first language

the students will explain the game to each other in their first language

most students have a lot of background knowledge about how to play games

the students will change the rules themselves if the rules are too complicated 11. Teachers who want their students to perform an end-of-term production need to ___.

let the students take over all the organizing

ensure that no mistakes are made during the performance

make sure they do not start preparing too early in the term or students will get easily bored

organize preparations carefully and assign roles to students 12. If we want to really know what is happening in terms of teaching and learning in our TEYL classes we should ___.

carry out lots of tests to measure what the learners know in English and then measure this against all the other young learners in the country

evaluate the teaching and learning as well as assess the learning and development of our students

assess how many words in English all our young learners can remember

wait until the end of the year and measure what the children can write in English

Course Pretest Results

Evaluation of your answers: 1. According to individuals like Vygotsky, children can learn by. You chose: being guided by an adult in how to think Correct! 2. Children learn a foreign or second language more successfully when ___. You chose: it is presented through meaningful activities that they can take part in and which are meaningful for their age and ability level Correct! 3. When we teach English to young learners, we need to remember that it is ___. You chose: very different from teaching older and adult learners of English Correct! 4. If a teacher wants to introduce a Listen and Do activity where students listen and carry out a craft activity, the teacher would be best advised to ____ . You chose: teach the language in context by demonstrating the activity step by step Correct! 5. Which suggestion is most likely to encourage your young language learner to speak out in class? You chose: If you can't think of the appropriate word, then use a gesture or facial expression to help get across your message. Correct! 6. The best reason for having students read comics in a language classroom is because ____.

You chose: the language is likely to be the same as the language they read in their textbooks Incorrect. Comics and textbook language is not often similar and so we shouldn't expect this when we use comics in the English lesson. Instead, we can focus on the differences. 7. The main reason we have very young learners do connect-the-dot activities in a prewriting class is ___. You chose: to help them develop hand-eye coordination Correct! 8. Story markers or signposts in a story are helpful to language learners. They ___. You chose: involve teachers pointing to the text as they read a story aloud Incorrect. Whilst it is useful for teachers to point to what they are saying as they read a story, they will not only point out the story markers but will point out all the words in the story. 9. If you teach songs verse by verse (rather than line by line), your students will ___. You chose: not enjoy the song as much because they will be confused Incorrect. While a verse is longer than a line, it often makes it easier to understand the meaning by hearing a verse rather than trying to get the meaning line by line. 10. Students will often be able to figure out how to play a game in the language class (after a brief explanation from the teacher) because ___. You chose: the students will explain the game to each other in their first language Incorrect. While students may do this, the focus of the game must be in English. Although cross-linguistic understanding of the game will be carried out, the game should be played in English. 11. Teachers who want their students to perform an end-of-term production need to ___. You chose: make sure they do not start preparing too early in the term or students will get easily bored Incorrect. It is important to start preparations for a production such as this early in the term so that work on it can be little and often and thus encourage more confidence in the performance. If the preparations are done just before the presentation it will actually put your learners under a great deal of pressure and this is likely to create more problems for the final performance.

12. If we want to really know what is happening in terms of teaching and learning in our TEYL classes we should ___. You chose: evaluate the teaching and learning as well as assess the learning and development of our students Correct! Your score: 58% (out of 100%). Course Pretest Date submitted: 12/11/2013 08:40:27 PM (PST) Please print this evaluation for your records.