TKT - Teaching Knowledge Teachers' and Learners' Language Questions and Answers

Question 1

When a learner does not know the word for 'scissors', they describe it as "the thing you use for cutting paper". Which communication strategy is the learner using?

Accepted Answer

Circumlocution

Answer

Circumlocution is a communication strategy where a speaker describes or 'talks around' a word they do not know, which is exactly what the learner is doing by describing the function and appearance of scissors.

Question 2

A learner says, "I no have a pen." The teacher responds, "Oh, you don't have a pen. Here, you can borrow mine." Which correction technique is the teacher primarily using?

Accepted Answer

Recasting

Answer

Recasting, also known as reformulation, involves the teacher repeating the learner's utterance correctly without explicitly stating that an error was made. The teacher's response, "Oh, you don't have a pen," models the correct form in a natural, communicative way.

Question 3

Which of the following teacher utterances has the main function of eliciting language from a learner?

Accepted Answer

"What's the opposite of 'hot'?"

Answer

Eliciting is the technique of drawing out information or language from students rather than giving it to them. Asking "What's the opposite of 'hot'?" is a direct attempt to get the learner to produce a specific word ('cold').

Question 4

A Spanish-speaking learner of English says, "I have 25 years," instead of "I am 25 years old." This is a classic example of which type of error?

Accepted Answer

L1 interference

Answer

This error is caused by L1 interference (or negative transfer), where the learner directly translates a grammatical structure from their first language (Spanish: 'Tengo 25 años') into the second language. This is a common error for speakers of Romance languages.

Question 5

Which of the following best defines 'interlanguage'?

Accepted Answer

The learner's own developing linguistic system, which has features of both their L1 and the L2.

Answer

Interlanguage refers to the unique linguistic system created by a second language learner at a specific stage of their development. This system is influenced by their first language (L1) and their evolving knowledge of the target language (L2), and it is systematic and dynamic.

TKT - Teaching Knowledge Test Practice Test

TKT - Teaching Knowledge Test Practice Test

TKT - Teaching Knowledge Teachers' and Learners' Language Questions and Answers