Cambridge TKT Exam Flashcards

Q: Does this flashcard set cover all of Cambridge TKT?

It covers only the three core modules: Module 1 (Background to language learning and teaching), Module 2 (Lesson planning and use of resources), and Module 3 (Managing the teaching and learning process). TKT: CLIL and TKT: Young Learners are separate specialist modules and need their own preparation.

Q: How are the 50 flashcards allocated across the core TKT modules?

The allocation is editorial, not an official combined-test blueprint. It proportionally combines the official counts from three separate 80-question modules: Module 1 contributes 8 cards on describing language and skills, 3 on language learning, and 5 on language teaching; Module 2 contributes 8 on planning and 8 on resources; Module 3 contributes 9 on classroom language and 9 on classroom management.

Q: How many questions and how much time does a core TKT module have?

Each core module is a separate 80-minute assessment with 80 objective questions. The questions use multiple-choice and matching tasks, and each question is worth one mark.

Q: Is there a pass mark for Cambridge TKT?

No. Cambridge reports performance for each module in Bands 1–4 rather than as pass or fail. The current Modules 1–3 handbook describes what each band represents but does not give fixed numeric cut scores.

Q: Can I take the core TKT modules in any order?

Yes. Cambridge describes TKT as modular: candidates can take modules in any order or combination and receive a certificate for each module completed. Registration is through an authorised TKT centre.

Question 1

Form, meaning, and use

Accepted Answer

Three linked aspects of language. Form is how language is built or pronounced; meaning is the idea it expresses; use is when and why it is appropriate. A sound lesson checks all three, not grammar form alone.

Question 2

Word class versus word function

Accepted Answer

Word class is a grammatical category, such as noun, verb, or adjective. Word function is the job a word or phrase does in a sentence, such as subject, object, or modifier. One form can serve different functions in different sentences.

Question 3

Collocation

Accepted Answer

A combination of words that commonly occur together, such as make a decision or heavy rain. Teaching collocation helps learners choose natural word partnerships, not merely grammatically possible ones.

Question 4

Morpheme

Accepted Answer

The smallest unit that carries meaning or a grammatical function. In unhappy, un- and happy are morphemes; in books, -s marks plural. A morpheme is about meaning, whereas a phoneme is about sound contrast.

Question 5

Phoneme versus letter

Accepted Answer

A phoneme is the smallest sound unit that can distinguish meaning, as /p/ and /b/ do in pat and bat. Letters are written symbols; English spelling does not always map one letter to one phoneme.

Question 6

Word stress versus sentence stress

Accepted Answer

Word stress gives one syllable more prominence within a word, for example the second syllable of phoTOGraphy. Sentence stress gives selected words prominence in connected speech, often to highlight new, important, or contrasting information.

Question 7

Language function and exponent

Accepted Answer

A function is a communicative purpose, such as suggesting or apologising. An exponent is the language used to realise it, such as “Why don't we…?” for a suggestion. The same function can have many exponents with different levels of formality.

Question 8

Reading for gist, scanning, and detailed reading

Accepted Answer

Reading for gist seeks the main idea. Scanning searches quickly for a specific fact, such as a departure time. Detailed reading focuses on precise understanding of the text. The task purpose should determine the subskill practised.

Question 9

Exposure to language and focus on form

Accepted Answer

Exposure gives learners meaningful language input. Focus on form draws attention to a language feature that matters within communication. For L2 learning, interaction and attention to form complement exposure; they are not competing alternatives.

Question 10

Slip, error, and interlanguage

Accepted Answer

A slip is a performance mistake a learner can usually self-correct. An error reflects an incomplete rule or understanding. Interlanguage is the learner's evolving language system, influenced by development and sometimes by the first language.

Question 11

Learner needs and motivation

Accepted Answer

Needs can be personal, learning-related, or future professional needs. Motivation is affected by factors such as relevance, achievable challenge, progress, confidence, and a supportive classroom. Planning should connect activities to both.

Question 12

Warmer and lead-in

Accepted Answer

A warmer energises the class or shifts attention into English. A lead-in introduces or generates interest in the specific lesson topic or context. One activity can do both, but their teaching purposes are different.

Question 13

Eliciting

Accepted Answer

A teacher uses prompts, questions, visuals, gestures, or context to draw language or ideas from learners rather than simply supplying them. Eliciting activates prior knowledge and lets the teacher check what learners already know.

Question 14

Drilling

Accepted Answer

Controlled repetition of a model to help learners practise pronunciation, stress, intonation, or a language pattern. A drill can be choral or individual, but it should have a clear target and should not replace meaningful communicative practice.

Question 15

PPP lesson framework

Accepted Answer

Presentation, Practice, Production. The teacher first introduces target language, then provides controlled practice, and finally gives learners a more communicative opportunity to use it. PPP is one possible framework, not a rule for every lesson.

Question 16

Diagnostic, formative, achievement, and proficiency assessment

Accepted Answer

Diagnostic assessment identifies strengths and gaps before or during learning. Formative assessment informs next teaching steps. Achievement assessment checks course objectives. Proficiency assessment measures general ability, independent of a particular course.

Question 17

Main, subsidiary, and personal aims

Accepted Answer

A main aim is the lesson's primary learning outcome. A subsidiary aim supports it, such as pre-teaching essential vocabulary before a reading task. A personal aim is something the teacher wants to improve, such as reducing teacher talking time.

Question 18

A specific lesson aim

Accepted Answer

A specific aim states what learners will be able to do with language or a skill by the end of a lesson. “Improve speaking” is too broad; “ask and answer about weekend plans using going to” gives a clearer basis for selecting activities and assessment.

Question 19

Core components of a lesson plan

Accepted Answer

Typical components include aims, assumptions, anticipated problems and solutions, procedures or stages, timing, interaction patterns, and aids or materials. These fields make the teaching decisions visible and easier to evaluate.

Question 20

Lesson staging and sequencing

Accepted Answer

Stages should build toward the aim in an order learners can manage. For a receptive-skills lesson, a common sequence is a motivating lead-in, preparation for the text, a gist task, more detailed work, and a response or follow-up task.

Question 21

Anticipated problem and planned solution

Accepted Answer

An anticipated problem is a likely obstacle, such as confusing /l/ and /r/ or lacking a word needed for a task. A solution is a practical response prepared in advance, such as a contrastive drill, visual support, or a model answer.

Question 22

Interaction pattern

Accepted Answer

The planned arrangement for who works with whom: teacher-to-class, individual work, pair work, group work, or mingling. Choose it because it supports the aim, amount of learner talk, feedback needs, and classroom logistics.

Question 23

Timing in a lesson plan

Accepted Answer

Timing gives each stage a realistic time budget and protects time for the main aim and feedback. It is a planning estimate, not a script; a teacher monitors progress and adapts while preserving the lesson's priorities.

Question 24

Planning assessment into a lesson

Accepted Answer

Select an assessment task that matches the aim and stage of learning. For example, after practising polite requests, a short role-play with criteria can show whether learners can use the target language, not just recognise it.

Question 25

Learner dictionary as a planning resource

Accepted Answer

A learner dictionary can help a teacher check meaning, pronunciation, word stress, grammar patterns, collocation, register, and example use. It is often more useful for lesson preparation than a simple bilingual word list.

Question 26

Grammar reference resource

Accepted Answer

A grammar reference helps the teacher verify form, meaning, use, common exceptions, and likely learner difficulties. The teacher should consult it to plan accurate explanations and examples, not simply copy a long rule into the lesson.

Question 27

Adapting coursebook material

Accepted Answer

Adaptation changes material to fit the learners and aim: shorten a text, add support, change the task type, reorder items, personalise content, or omit unsuitable material. Adapt because of a teaching reason, not just for variety.

Question 28

Authentic material

Accepted Answer

Material created for a real-world purpose rather than specifically for language teaching, such as a menu, timetable, podcast clip, or webpage. It can motivate learners and show real language, but may need adaptation or support.

Question 29

Realia

Accepted Answer

Real objects brought into the classroom, such as tickets, packaging, coins, or clothing. Realia can make meaning concrete, generate interest, and support language connected to everyday contexts.

Question 30

Visual teaching aid

Accepted Answer

A visual aid, such as a photograph, flashcard, timeline, diagram, or board drawing, supports understanding and recall. Select it for a clear function: conveying meaning, sequencing a story, comparing information, or prompting language.

Question 31

Supplementary material

Accepted Answer

Material used in addition to a coursebook, such as a game, worksheet, graded reader, video clip, or teacher-made activity. It should fill a recognised learning need or provide an appropriate extra practice opportunity.

Question 32

Criteria for selecting a resource

Accepted Answer

Consider the lesson aim, learners' age and level, interests and needs, language demands, authenticity, accessibility, time, classroom equipment, and whether the resource can be adapted. A resource is suitable only in relation to these factors.

Question 33

Appropriate teacher classroom language

Accepted Answer

Teacher language should match learners' level, purpose, and context. It needs to be clear, concise, and sequenced so learners can follow it. Appropriate language may include modelling, gestures, visuals, or carefully chosen L1 support.

Question 34

Sequencing instructions

Accepted Answer

Give instructions in manageable steps, demonstrate the task when useful, then check understanding before learners begin. Long explanations with several actions at once overload working memory and often create avoidable management problems.

Question 35

Instruction-checking question (ICQ)

Accepted Answer

An ICQ checks whether learners understand what to do in an activity, for example “Do you write alone or with a partner?” It checks procedure, not the meaning of new language.

Question 36

Concept-checking question (CCQ)

Accepted Answer

A CCQ checks learners' understanding of a language item's meaning or use, for example after “I used to live in Rome”: “Do I live there now?” It checks concept, not activity instructions.

Question 37

Classroom metalanguage

Accepted Answer

Language used to talk about language or classroom procedures, such as noun, syllable, question form, underline, or compare. Use metalanguage only when it helps learners understand; explain or model unfamiliar terms.

Question 38

Purposeful use of learners' first language (L1)

Accepted Answer

Limited L1 can be appropriate when it saves time, ensures safety or task understanding, clarifies a complex issue, or supports comparison. It should be a deliberate choice, not the default replacement for meaningful L2 exposure and interaction.

Question 39

Categorising a learner mistake

Accepted Answer

Identify what is wrong before choosing correction: it may be spelling, pronunciation, word order, verb form, subject–verb agreement, vocabulary choice, or appropriacy. Accurate categorisation helps the teacher choose a focused remedy.

Question 40

Prompting a learner

Accepted Answer

Prompting gives a small cue that helps a learner continue or self-correct, such as a gesture, the first sound, a question, or a pause. It supports learner autonomy without immediately supplying the answer.

Question 41

Display question and referential question

Accepted Answer

A display question has an answer the teacher already knows and can check, such as “What tense is this?” A referential question seeks genuine information or opinion, such as “What would you do at the weekend?” Both can serve different lesson purposes.

Question 42

Teacher roles

Accepted Answer

A teacher may act as planner, manager, model, monitor, facilitator, participant, assessor, or diagnostician. The suitable role changes with the activity; for example, monitoring is usually more helpful than leading during pair-work fluency practice.

Question 43

Pair work and group work

Accepted Answer

Pair work maximises each learner's speaking time and can reduce pressure. Group work supports collaboration, information sharing, and more complex tasks. Choose based on the aim, class size, task demands, and need for individual accountability.

Question 44

Monitoring during an activity

Accepted Answer

Move around, listen or observe unobtrusively, check that learners understand the task, notice useful language and recurring problems, and decide whether support is needed. Monitoring supplies evidence for later feedback; it is not merely supervision.

Question 45

Immediate and delayed correction

Accepted Answer

Immediate correction can be useful when accuracy is the aim or an error blocks communication. Delayed correction often protects fluency during a communicative task; the teacher notes examples and addresses selected patterns afterwards.

Question 46

Feedback on task outcome and language

Accepted Answer

Outcome feedback focuses on what learners achieved in the task, such as a solution or message. Language feedback focuses on how they used language, including successful examples and selected improvements. Good feedback is linked to the aim and evidence from the activity.

Question 47

Classroom routines

Accepted Answer

Predictable procedures for recurring events, such as starting a lesson, distributing materials, changing groups, or recording homework. Clear routines reduce transition time and cognitive load, leaving more attention for learning.

Question 48

Managing participation

Accepted Answer

Use techniques such as think time, pair rehearsal, nomination, roles, and varied grouping to include quieter learners without allowing a few confident learners to dominate. Participation management should create safe, purposeful opportunities to contribute.

Question 49

Variety and pace

Accepted Answer

Variety changes activity type, interaction, focus, or mode to sustain attention and meet different needs. Pace is the speed and rhythm of a lesson. Both should serve the aims; constant novelty or rushing can undermine learning.

Question 50

Managing the teaching space

Accepted Answer

Arrange seating, board work, materials, movement, and sight lines to support the planned interaction and task. For example, face-to-face seating may suit discussion, while clear board organisation helps learners follow language and instructions.

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