YL Knowledge & Principles
16%of exam
Planning & Preparing Lessons
26%of exam
Teaching Young Learners
41%of exam
Assessing YL Learning
16%of exam
Quick Facts
- Exam
- TKT: YL
- Credential
- Teaching Knowledge Test
- Body
- Cambridge Assessment English
- Questions
- 80 objective items
- Time
- 1 hour 20 minutes
- Format
- Matching + multiple choice
- Score
- 4 bands, no pass/fail
- Age focus
- Learners aged 6-12
- Entry
- None; B1 English recommended
- Handbook
- Nov 2019 (current)
Four Parts by Question Count
13 know, 21 plan, 33 teach, 13 assess
Part 1: 13 questionsPart 2: 21 questionsPart 3: 33 questionsPart 4: 13 questions
Learner Characteristics
- Indirect learning
- Learns via meaning/context
- Chunks
- Fixed multi-word units
- Creative language use
- Recombines known words
- Play & fun
- High motivation driver
- Social interaction
- Learns from peers/teacher
- Need for safety
- Feel relaxed to learn
- Variable attention span
- Depends on activity
- Literacy skills lag
- Under-9s can't read/write yet
Learning Strategies
- Self-assessment
- Judge own learning
- Self-correction
- Fix own errors
- Setting learning objectives
- Plan the goal
- Comparing
- Note similarities
- Contrasting
- Note differences
- Developing hypotheses
- Guess language rules
- Using reference resources
- Dictionaries, glossaries
- Reviewing learning
- Reflect after task
Cognitive Strategies
- Categorising
- Sort into groups
- Inferring
- Deduce unstated meaning
- Predicting
- Guess what's next
- Sequencing
- Put in order
- Ranking
- Order by degree
- Skimming
- Read for gist
- Scanning
- Find specific detail
- Deducing from context
- Guess word meaning
Communication Strategies
- Asking for an object
- "Can I have...?"
- Asking for clarification
- "Can you help me?"
- Attracting attention
- "Miss!"
- Expressing opinion
- "I like cats"
- Expressing intention
- "I'm going to..."
- Describing an action
- "He's singing"
- Narrating
- "The king said..."
- Giving instructions
- "Open it!"
Teaching Aim vs Learning Outcome
Personal Teaching Aim
- Teacher's own goal
- Professional development focus
- E.g. clearer instructions
Learning Outcomes
- Learner's end goal
- What children can do
- Set for the lesson
Teacher goal vs learner goal
Material Adaptation Picker
- Text too hard, vocabulary→Simplify language
- Text has irrelevant sections→Omit unnecessary detail
- Topic doesn't interest class→Personalise content
- Layout hard to read→Change layout
- Task lacks support→Add word bank
- Task too passive→Adapt task type(Make communicative)
Lesson Plan Headings
- Learning outcomes
- What learners will do
- Personal teaching aim
- Teacher's own goal
- Previous learning
- Prior knowledge assumed
- Interaction patterns
- Plenary, group, pair, solo
- Procedure
- Step-by-step sequence
- Possible problems/solutions
- Anticipated issues + fix
- Differentiation
- Support & challenge levels
- Assessment evidence
- How learning is checked
- Syllabus fit
- Link to curriculum
- Follow-up suggestions
- Ideas for next lesson
- Lesson evaluation
- Post-lesson reflection
Lesson-Plan Heading Picker
- What learners will do→Learning outcomes
- Teacher's own goal→Personal teaching aim
- Grouping for a stage→Interaction patterns
- Difficulty plus fix→Possible problems/solutions
- Support/challenge levels→Differentiation
- How progress is checked→Assessment evidence
Adapting Materials
- Adding visual support
- Insert pictures/diagrams
- Adding word banks
- Give useful vocabulary
- Adding possible answers
- Offer answer options
- Omitting unnecessary detail
- Cut extra content
- Simplifying language
- Ease difficult wording
- Personalising content
- Relate to learners' lives
- Changing layout
- Improve print/spacing
- Adapting tasks
- Make more communicative
Additional Classroom Resources
- Puppets
- Model dialogue, lower anxiety
- Realia
- Real objects as aids
- Flashcards
- Concrete vocabulary pictures
- Action rhymes
- Movement links to meaning
- ICT
- Computer games, feedback
- Video clips
- Commercial or class-made
- Art & craft
- Origami, masks, mini-books
- Games
- Physical response, guessing, memory
Correction Technique Ladder
Ignore, recast, echo, prompt, then delay
Ignore in fluency gamesRecast: reformulate naturallyEcho: repeat to flagPrompt: give a clueDelay: fix it later
Recasting vs Echo Correcting
Recasting
- Reformulates correctly
- No error flag
- Keeps meaning natural
Echo Correcting
- Repeats the error
- Rising tone flags it
- Prompts self-correction
Reformulate silently vs flag aloud
Correction Technique Picker
- Fluency activity, minor error→Ignore error(Protect communication)
- Want natural reformulation→Recasting(No flag)
- Want child to notice error→Echo correcting(Rising intonation)
- Want self-correction via clue→Prompting(Give first sound)
- Accuracy-focus activity→Direct correction(Limited use)
- Errors need whole-class review→Delayed correction(After activity)
Scaffolding via Teacher Language
- Rephrasing
- Reword for clarity
- Wait time
- Pause before answer
- Divergent question
- Many possible answers
- Convergent question
- One expected answer
- Gestures
- Support meaning visually
- Recasting
- Reformulate error correctly
- Echo correcting
- Repeat error, flag it
- Prompting
- Give clue to self-correct
- Defining
- Explain word meaning
- Using L1
- Occasional clarification only
Stirrer Up, Settler Down
Stirrers raise energy; settlers calm the class
Stirrer: energising activitySettler: calming activityMatch activity to mood
Prompting vs Defining
Prompting
- Gives a clue
- Child retrieves word
- E.g. first sound
Defining
- Explains the meaning
- Teacher gives explanation
- E.g. baby cat
Clue vs explanation
Practice Activity Picker
- Class sleepy, low energy→Stirrer(e.g. action game)
- Class over-excited→Settler(e.g. visualisation)
- Need info exchange→Information-gap(Pairs ask/tell)
- Consolidate known vocab→Memory game(Match word-picture)
- Practise following directions→Listen-and-do(TPR commands)
- Build controlled accuracy→Drill(Substitution pattern)
- Need calm imaginative task→Visualisation(Eyes closed)
Scaffolding via Teaching Strategies
- Demonstrating
- Show model first
- Known to unknown
- Build on familiar
- Language frames
- Sentence starter support
- Substitution table
- Swap one word slot
- Speech bubbles
- Written model prompt
- Word banks
- Ready vocabulary list
- Relating to experience
- Link to real life
- Multisensory input
- Touch, hear, see
Scaffold with Language and Strategy
Rephrase, wait, question, gesture, model, relate
Rephrase for their levelWait time helps recallAsk open questionsGesture supports meaningModel the task firstRelate to their experience
Stirrer vs Settler
Stirrer
- Raises energy level
- Re-engages tired class
- Movement-based activity
Settler
- Calms the class
- Quiet and focused
- Used after excitement
Energise vs calm
Practice Activities
- Stirrer
- Energising activity
- Settler
- Calming activity
- Drill
- Controlled repeated practice
- Dictation
- Write what's heard
- Visualisation
- Imagine, eyes closed
- Information-gap
- Exchange missing details
- Survey
- Ask classmates, record answers
- Guessing game
- Motivating "what is it"
- Memory game
- Match word to picture
- Role-play
- Act out functional language
- Problem-solving
- Discuss to find solution
- Jazz chant
- Rhythmic pronunciation practice
Divergent vs Convergent Questions
Divergent
- Many possible answers
- Encourages open thinking
- No fixed answer
Convergent
- One expected answer
- Closed or display
- Checks recall
Many answers vs one
Managing Young Learners
- Attention signal
- Agreed clap/routine cue
- Checking understanding
- Ask concept question
- Establishing routines
- Build security & behaviour
- Practical responsibilities
- Classroom jobs for pupils
- Pair/group setup
- Clarify roles before start
- Extension tasks
- Occupy fast finishers
- Delayed correction
- Note errors, address later
- Ignoring minor errors
- Protect fluency focus
Immediate vs Delayed Correction
Immediate
- Corrects in the moment
- Recast or echo
- May interrupt fluency
Delayed
- Noted, addressed later
- Protects communication flow
- Whole-class follow-up
Now vs after activity
Four TKT Bands
Limited, basic, breadth-and-depth, then extensive
Band 1: limited knowledgeBand 2: basic systematicBand 3: breadth and depthBand 4: extensive knowledge
Achievement vs Diagnostic Assessment
Achievement
- What was learned
- Checked against objectives
- End-of-unit focus
Diagnostic
- Where problems are
- Pinpoints specific difficulty
- Guides follow-up teaching
What's learned vs what's wrong
Purposes of Assessment
- Identifying progress
- Compare now vs before
- Identifying achievement
- Check unit objectives met
- Diagnosing weaknesses
- Pinpoint specific difficulty
- Identifying likes/dislikes
- Learn preferences
Focus & Acting on Assessment
- Focus: language
- Grammar/vocab accuracy
- Focus: behaviour
- Cooperation & conduct
- Focus: learning strategies
- How child organises work
- Oral formative feedback
- Spoken in-task comment
- Written formative feedback
- Note in workbook
- Adjusting materials
- Redesign confusing worksheet
- Adjusting task types
- Change activity format
- Adjusting management
- Change grouping/routine
Common Traps
Recasting ≠ Echo Correcting
Recast reformulates silently ≠ Echo repeats to flag
Teaching Aim ≠ Learning Outcome
Aim is teacher's goal ≠ Outcome is learner's goal
TKT: YL ≠ Pass/Fail Test
Reports one of four bands ≠ Every candidate gets certificate
TKT: YL ≠ Proficiency Test
Tests teaching knowledge only ≠ Not candidate's own English
Divergent ≠ Closed Question
Divergent has many answers ≠ Closed has one answer
Stirrer ≠ Settler
Stirrer raises energy ≠ Settler calms the class
Classroom Assessment ≠ Formal Exam
Ongoing and informative only ≠ Not a high-stakes test
Last Minute
- 1.80 questions, one 80-minute paper
- 2.Four bands; there's no pass/fail
- 3.Part weights 16-26-41-16%
- 4.Young learners are aged 6-12
- 5.Recast reformulates; echo correcting flags
- 6.Stirrers energise; settlers calm class
- 7.Teaching aim is teacher's, not learner's
- 8.Divergent questions allow many answers
- 9.Ignore minor errors during fluency
- 10.Assessment: progress, achievement, diagnosis, preferences
- 11.TPR is listen-and-do physical response
- 12.No entry requirement; B1 recommended
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