CTEL 3: Culture & Inclusion Subtest Structure

Which of the following best describes an effective application of research on cultural factors that influence English learners’ school achievement?

• A teacher adapts instructional practices to respond to English learners’ culturally influenced approaches to learning

• A teacher develops a comprehensive curriculum designed to immerse English learners in mainstream U.S. culture

• A teacher organizes instructional activities so that English learners with the same cultural background tend to be grouped together

• A teacher focuses on language instruction with English learners and minimizes instruction related to culture

Which of the following behaviors best characterizes the acceptance stage of acculturation?

• A person is comfortable in settings related to the original culture and those related to the new culture

• A person begins to establish some personal relationships with individuals from the new culture

• A person is fascinated by and enthralled with all aspects of the new culture

• A person consciously abandons beliefs and traditions associated with the original culture

Compared with early 20th century immigrants to the U.S., late 20th century immigrants were more likely to:

• Come from rural regions of their home countries

• Immigrate in family units

• Come from countries where Indo-European languages are spoken

• Immigrate to the Atlantic coast

A third-grade teacher notices that an English learner, who is a good student and speaks English well, tends to be slow to respond when called upon to answer questions. Very often, others in the class are waving their hands and shouting answers before the student speaks. In this situation, it would be most important for the teacher to consider which of the following?

• The student’s hesitation to speak may indicate a general lack of academic preparation

• In some cultures, silence is used as an expression of anger or frustration about a particular situation

• A reluctance to respond verbally may indicate the presence of a language or learning difficulty

• In some cultures, it is respectful to weigh one’s words carefully before responding to a question

To prepare for the arrival of a new English learner who is a recent immigrant, a third-grade teacher is consulting a variety of books about the student’s country, tend to value humility and may feel uncomfortable accepting compliments. Wishing to be culturally sensitive, the teacher decides not to put smiley faces and stars on the new student’s written work. Before making this accommodation, the teacher would be best advised to do which of the following first?

• Determine whether the student holds this particular cultural view

• Discuss with colleagues alternative ways of acknowledging students’ work

• Explain to the student’s parents why this accommodation is being made

• Consult an additional book about the student’s home country

Which of the following school practices would be most effective in maintaining an environment that is culturally responsive to students with diverse backgrounds?

• A school groups all English learners together for the first part of the school day and regroups them by grade level with native English speakers for the remainder of the day

• Teachers use student records to determine students’ cultural backgrounds before the school year begins and use the information to form homogeneous groups for cooperative-learning activities

• A school groups students together based on cultural and linguistic background for content-area classes and at mealtimes and groups them by English proficiency level for English Language Development

• Teachers observe their students in different instructional settings in order to determine students’ preferred approaches to learning, and use the information to make appropriate instructional accommodations

A teacher wants to encourage the parents and guardians of English learners to become more actively involved in their children’s education. Which of the following pieces of information about a student’s parents or guardians would be most helpful to the teacher in planning appropriate outreach strategies for that family?

• The length of time a student’s parents or guardians have been in the country

• The language or languages that the student’s parents or guardians feel most comfortable using

• The occupations and work history of the student’s parents or guardians

• The educational background and experiences of the student’s parents or guardians

Which of the following is the best example of an instructional unit based on the transformative approach to multicultural curriculum reform?

• A thematic unit on Thanksgiving that focuses on the subsistence activities of Native Americans in early New England

• A thematic unit on Thanksgiving that examines the cultural and religious origins of the celebration

• A thematic unit on Thanksgiving that explores the perspectives of both the Native Americans and the English colonists in early New England

• A thematic unit on Thanksgiving that traces the diffusion of the celebration to cultural regions outside New England