# Structuring an LSA Background Essay

## Outline

| Section | Purpose | Contents | Share |
|---------|---------|----------|-------|
| Introduction | Define the focus and why it matters | The area (e.g. "present perfect for unfinished time and experience at B1"), why it is important for these learners, scope | 5-10% |
| Analysis | Show expert understanding of the area | Meaning/use, form, phonology (systems) or sub-skills and processes (skills); with examples and sources | 25-35% |
| Learner problems | Link analysis to real learners | Problems with examples (learner data where possible), causes (L1, overgeneralisation, teaching, materials) | 25-30% |
| Teaching approaches | Solutions for each problem | Activities and approaches, each with rationale and evaluation from reading and experience | 25-30% |
| Conclusion | Draw together | Main points; implications for the lesson | 5% |
| References | Sources cited | Consistent style (e.g. Harvard) | not counted |

## Writing the problems and solutions

Write problems and solutions as matched pairs so the essay leads straight into the lesson:

| Problem (with example) | Cause | Solution | Rationale |
|------------------------|-------|----------|-----------|
| Present perfect with finished time: *I have seen him yesterday* | L1 transfer (Spanish/French perfect used for recent past) | Timelines and contrasting sentence pairs; noticing in a text | Makes the "unfinished / no specific time" concept visible (Scrivener, 2011) |
| Weak form of *have* not heard in listening | Contracted /v/ hard to perceive | Micro-dictation and counting words | Builds bottom-up decoding (Field, 2008) |

## Using sources well

- Use sources to support claims and to evaluate: "Although guided discovery promotes noticing (Thornbury, 1999),
  it can be slow with lower levels..."
- Prefer ELT methodology and grammar reference books, articles and research summaries; avoid general websites.
- Quote sparingly with page numbers; paraphrase most ideas.
- Consistent author-date style; every citation in the reference list and vice versa (`citation_check.py`).

## Core reading by area (examples)

| Area | Commonly used sources |
|------|-----------------------|
| Grammar | Swan, *Practical English Usage*; Parrott, *Grammar for English Language Teachers*; Thornbury, *About Language* |
| Lexis | Lewis, *The Lexical Approach*; Thornbury, *How to Teach Vocabulary*; Schmitt, *Vocabulary in Language Teaching* |
| Phonology | Underhill, *Sound Foundations*; Kelly, *How to Teach Pronunciation* |
| Learner errors | Swan and Smith, *Learner English* |
| Listening | Field, *Listening in the Language Classroom* |
| Reading | Nuttall, *Teaching Reading Skills in a Foreign Language*; Grabe, *Reading in a Second Language* |
| Speaking | Thornbury, *How to Teach Speaking*; Goh and Burns, *Teaching Speaking* |
| Writing | Hedge, *Writing*; Harmer, *How to Teach Writing* |
| Methodology | Scrivener, *Learning Teaching*; Harmer, *The Practice of English Language Teaching* |

## Style

- Academic but clear; first person is acceptable for reflection on your own learners and practice.
- Every paragraph makes one point and links to the learners and the lesson.
- Examples in italics; learner errors marked with an asterisk (*I have seen him yesterday).