ESL #154 (DI-Comp.1&2)

Which of the following is most important for effective second-language acquisition?

• Engaging in social activities and meaningful interactions

• Memorizing and practicing frequently used words and phrases

• Interacting primarily with the teacher and other adults

• Learning with various structured and rote activities

Which of the following statements most accurately identifies state-mandated Limited English Proficient (LEP) policies?

• ELLs who meet requirements and exit the special language program are monitored for one year.

• School districts that have at least two ELLs at one grade level must provide ESL services.

• The Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC) assesses the proficiency levels of ELLs annually.

• The identification and placement of ELLs occurs within the first four weeks of their enrollment in school.

A teacher gives the following oral feedback to students.

“We need to review the lesson about the auxiliary verbs that are placed before other verbs to express meanings such as permission, ability, and possibility. It appears that the application of these words still poses some difficulties for you.”

The feedback is primarily in response to the students’ difficulty in using which of the following?

• Principal verbs

• Linking verbs

• Stative verbs

• Modal verbs

Answer explanation

Option D is correct because modal verbs or modals are verbs that precede other verbs to express permission, possibility, ability, etc. Option A is incorrect because a principal verb has a meaning of its own and does not accompany another verb. Option B is incorrect because linking verbs are used to connect the subject with more information. Option C is incorrect because stative verbs describe a state, situation, or condition.

An ESL teacher instructs a new class in how the -ed endings are added to regular verbs to indicate past tense. This most closely relates to:

• Morphology

• Phonology

• Semantics

• Syntax

Answer explanation

Morphology is the study of the smallest structural units conveying meaning, like verb tense endings. Phonology (B) is the study of speech sounds. Semantics (C) is the study of word meanings. Syntax (D) is the study of word order and sentence structure.

ESL students are studying how to use the English language in social situations to attain the things they need and want. Which area of language covers this use?

• Semantics

• Pragmatics

• Discourse

• Lexicon

In order to talk about science concepts in English, if ESL students have learned scientific _____ concepts in their native languages, they can transfer these to English.

• Pragmatic

• Semantic

• Discourse

• Syntactic

The language acquisition skills denoted by BICs take about ____ for ESLs to develop after coming to America.

• Individually unique times

• No determined duration

• From five to seven years

• Six months to two years

Answer explanation

BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills or Social Language) generally takes six months to two years, so (A) and (B) are incorrect. CALPS (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency) takes five to seven years.

Which of these is a characteristic of CALP acquisition for ESL students?

• Higher order cognitive skills are not an issue for this language

• Context is progressively increased in tasks using this language

• Context is progressively reduced for tasks using this language

• New Concepts are not presented together with this language

Answer explanation

Observing an ESL student's good English comprehension and production in peer conversations, teachers and administrators expect him to do better academically than he does. What is the most likely reason for the disparity between their expectations and his performance?

• The student must be intellectually disabled

• The student has acquired BICS but not CALP

• The student is not motivated for academics

• The student has acquired CALP but not BICS

Answer explanation

The educators observed BICS in the student (basic communication), but does not mean he has CALP (academic language); therefore (d) is incorrect. From the information given, there is no reason to assume the student has any intellectual disability (a), or that he is not motivated for academics (c).

Which of the following statements is primarily true about the relationship between a student’s first- and second-language acquisition?

• Cognitive development in L1 should be discontinued through the elementary years in order to achieve cognitive and academic success in L2.

• Cognitive development in L1 should be limited through the elementary years in order to achieve cognitive and academic success in L2.

• Students who receive formal schooling in L1 do better at acquiring L2 than students with no schooling in L1.

• Students who receive formal schooling in L1 do worse at acquiring L2 than students with no schooling in L1