Character references for Advanced students preparing for CAE

1.

Lead-in: Adjectives rock mp3. Students listen and try to write down
all the adjectives that they hear. There are 16 in total (stubborn,
generous, patient, polite, honest, talkative, grumpy, uptight, moody,
phony, clumsy, glum, stylish, sensitive, eccentric, dumb). In pairs,
students check that they have all of them and try to decide if they are
positive or negative characteristics. Teacher tries to elicit meaning of
potentially new vocab glum, grumpy and uptight or pre-teaches
these.

2.

Brainstorming students add other personality adjectives to the

whiteboard under the heading s of desirable / undesirable.

3.

Teacher introduces idea of a character reference and why you might

be asked to write one.

Student task: If the purpose is that someone you know has applied for a
job, which of the following would be relevant:
how you know the person
her hobbies
we get along really well
she speaks English well
children like her
what kind of food she likes
honest and hardworking
Students justify the reasons for their choices.
4. Ask students what they think are good qualities for a language
teacher to have. Introduce the authentic text which I wrote for a
former teacher here. Task: Read through and see if there are any of
the qualities they thought were important. Then decide if you were
the director at ih, if you would employ her as a teacher. Justify
opinion in groups.
5.

Closer examination of the text. Students look through and complete

the following tasks:

circle all the adjectives used

How does a character reference begin?
How does it end?
What kind of linking words are used?
find examples of a participle clause and the passive
A family in Britain is looking for someone to take care of two young
underline any new vocabulary
children and to do some light domestic work during the summer. A friend
highlight any phrases or expressions that you might like to use in your
of yours has applied, and the family has asked you to write a reference.
own writing
Your reference should indicate your relationship with the applicant and
how
you have
him/her,
and include
relevantExpert,
information
about
6. long
Students
read known
the exam
task (from
New Advanced
Pearson,
yourp20)
friends
which follows, underlining the key points:

personal qualities

attitude to children

relevant skills and experience

Write your reference in 220 260 words.

Students then think of a person they know who would be a suitable

candidate and take brief notes as to why. They then talk about their choice
in small groups to flesh out their ideas for the writing task.
7.

Students write the reference individually. These would then be read

by their peers, with suggestions for improvement given. Students
may then look to p21 for some useful framework language to
incorporate into their final submission.

To whom it may concern:

I have known ******* during the past three years, during which time she has
demonstrated herself to be a consistently reliable and responsible
employee. She has taught children, adolescents and adult learners from
elementary to advanced levels, also undertaking the specialised courses of
literature and advanced conversation during the past two full academic

years. These have required particular creativity, adaptation and material

design work, as neither have a prescribed textbook.
Although she has progressed a great deal in her teaching to these higher
levels, ***** has a clear affinity with younger learners. She has had
particular success with project work, drama, use of the internet and content
language integrated learning, and approaches these classes with a real
sense of joy and enthusiasm. She puts great effort into both the preparation
and execution of lessons, adapting coursebook material and syllabuses to
best suit individual learners and groups. Administrative paperwork is always
kept up-to-date and her pleasant nature enables her to have a good
relationship with all members of the school, from colleagues to reception
and cleaning staff. ***** takes pride in ensuring all aspects of her work are
delivered to a high standard.
Academically, ***** has participated fully in teacher training and
professional development sessions here at the school. In 2006, she
attended the International House Language Awareness course, and last year
showed willingness to be observed by colleagues in the Young Learner
course and share her experience in this field with less experienced teachers.
Having done this course herself, she is keen to help others with their own
professional development and give hands-on advice and encouragement.
Ability to communicate clearly is crucial for a language teacher. ****** does
this in both speaking and writing. Her interest in other languages is also
beneficial i.e. she has studied Polish and continues to enjoy Spanish classes,
as it helps to build greater empathy with learners and better understand the
difficulties they face. She is, in general, a very interested person she takes
contemporary dance classes, tango, likes drawing and has a keen interest in
ballet, literature and cinema. These no doubt contribute to her good health,
both physical and mental.
In summary, ***** is independent and highly motivated yet easy-going and
good-natured. She also works well in a team and loves to bounce ideas and
techniques off her colleagues. I have no hesitation in recommending her in
any field of education, as she makes firm commitments to complete any
task that she sets out to achieve.
Should you require further information, I would be happy to answer any
questions.

Lisa Phillips.
Director of Studies.
International House Buenos Aires.