DELTA MODULE 1 EXAM PREP ELT TERMS
& RATIONALES BASED ON THORNBURY’S
A-Z OF ELT
This comprehensive exam preparation bank contains highly
targeted multiple-choice questions with detailed linguistic
rationales specifically designed to mirror the Cambridge DELTA
Module 1 syllabus. Based directly on Scott Thornbury’s
authoritative text An A-Z of ELT, this study guide systematically
covers core testing criteria including Second Language
Acquisition theories, phonology, discourse analysis, and language
testing methodologies. It serves as an essential resource for ELT
candidates looking to master complex pedagogical terminology
and secure maximum marks on Paper 1 tasks.
1. Which term describes a learner's capacity to
take responsibility for their own learning, setting
their own goals and managing their study path?
A) Automaticity
B) Acculturation
C) Autonomy
D) Appropriation
Answer: C) Autonomy
Rationale: Autonomy (or self-directed
learning) refers to the learner’s ability to take
charge of their own learning process, which
is highly emphasized in learner-centered ELT
methodologies.
,2. What is the effect called when a test significantly
influences the classroom teaching, curriculum
design, and learning habits leading up to it?
A) Face validity
B) Washback
C) Construct validity
D) Impact factor
Answer: B) Washback
Rationale: Washback (or backwash) can be
positive or negative. It explicitly measures
the impact that a test’s design and format
have on day-to-day teaching practices.
3. A structural or lexical sequence that is
processed and produced as a single pre-
assembled chunk rather than analyzed piece by
piece is known as:
A) Formulaic language
B) Deictic language
C) Generative grammar
D) Free variation
Answer: A) Formulaic language
Rationale: Formulaic language includes
collocations, idioms, and fixed expressions
that lower cognitive load because they are
, stored and retrieved from memory as a
single unit.
4. A teacher notices students are struggling with a
communicative task and briefly pauses the
activity to draw attention to a specific
grammatical error before resuming. This is an
example of:
A) Focus on Forms
B) Focus on Meaning
C) Focus on Form
D) Grammar Translation
Answer: C) Focus on Form
Rationale: Focus on Form (FonF) occurs
when conscious attention is drawn to
linguistic features during an otherwise
meaning-focused, communicative activity.
5. Which psychological learning theory views
language acquisition as a process of habit
formation built through stimulus, response, and
positive reinforcement?
A) Innatism
B) Cognitivism
C) Behaviorism
D) Constructivism
Answer: C) Behaviorism
, Rationale: Behaviorism, championed by B.F.
Skinner, relies heavily on audio-lingual drills
to forge linguistic habits through stimulus-
response conditioning.
6. When a speaker views the internal time profile of
an event (e.g., whether it is ongoing, completed,
or repeated), they are selecting a linguistic:
A) Tense
B) Mood
C) Aspect
D) Voice
Answer: C) Aspect
Rationale: Tense locates an event in time
(past, present, future), whereas aspect
expresses how the speaker views the
structure of that time (e.g., progressive vs.
perfect).
7. A test administered at the very beginning of a
language course to pinpoint exactly what
specific language structures, skills, or sub-skills
students struggle with is called a:
A) Placement test
B) Proficiency test
C) Diagnostic test
D) Achievement test
& RATIONALES BASED ON THORNBURY’S
A-Z OF ELT
This comprehensive exam preparation bank contains highly
targeted multiple-choice questions with detailed linguistic
rationales specifically designed to mirror the Cambridge DELTA
Module 1 syllabus. Based directly on Scott Thornbury’s
authoritative text An A-Z of ELT, this study guide systematically
covers core testing criteria including Second Language
Acquisition theories, phonology, discourse analysis, and language
testing methodologies. It serves as an essential resource for ELT
candidates looking to master complex pedagogical terminology
and secure maximum marks on Paper 1 tasks.
1. Which term describes a learner's capacity to
take responsibility for their own learning, setting
their own goals and managing their study path?
A) Automaticity
B) Acculturation
C) Autonomy
D) Appropriation
Answer: C) Autonomy
Rationale: Autonomy (or self-directed
learning) refers to the learner’s ability to take
charge of their own learning process, which
is highly emphasized in learner-centered ELT
methodologies.
,2. What is the effect called when a test significantly
influences the classroom teaching, curriculum
design, and learning habits leading up to it?
A) Face validity
B) Washback
C) Construct validity
D) Impact factor
Answer: B) Washback
Rationale: Washback (or backwash) can be
positive or negative. It explicitly measures
the impact that a test’s design and format
have on day-to-day teaching practices.
3. A structural or lexical sequence that is
processed and produced as a single pre-
assembled chunk rather than analyzed piece by
piece is known as:
A) Formulaic language
B) Deictic language
C) Generative grammar
D) Free variation
Answer: A) Formulaic language
Rationale: Formulaic language includes
collocations, idioms, and fixed expressions
that lower cognitive load because they are
, stored and retrieved from memory as a
single unit.
4. A teacher notices students are struggling with a
communicative task and briefly pauses the
activity to draw attention to a specific
grammatical error before resuming. This is an
example of:
A) Focus on Forms
B) Focus on Meaning
C) Focus on Form
D) Grammar Translation
Answer: C) Focus on Form
Rationale: Focus on Form (FonF) occurs
when conscious attention is drawn to
linguistic features during an otherwise
meaning-focused, communicative activity.
5. Which psychological learning theory views
language acquisition as a process of habit
formation built through stimulus, response, and
positive reinforcement?
A) Innatism
B) Cognitivism
C) Behaviorism
D) Constructivism
Answer: C) Behaviorism
, Rationale: Behaviorism, championed by B.F.
Skinner, relies heavily on audio-lingual drills
to forge linguistic habits through stimulus-
response conditioning.
6. When a speaker views the internal time profile of
an event (e.g., whether it is ongoing, completed,
or repeated), they are selecting a linguistic:
A) Tense
B) Mood
C) Aspect
D) Voice
Answer: C) Aspect
Rationale: Tense locates an event in time
(past, present, future), whereas aspect
expresses how the speaker views the
structure of that time (e.g., progressive vs.
perfect).
7. A test administered at the very beginning of a
language course to pinpoint exactly what
specific language structures, skills, or sub-skills
students struggle with is called a:
A) Placement test
B) Proficiency test
C) Diagnostic test
D) Achievement test
