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Worksheets

Praxis -ESOL

Total questions: 72

Worksheet time: 36mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which of the following IPA symbols represents the sound of the consonant cluster /ng/ in the word swing?

a)

[O]

b)

[ae]

c)

[n]

d)

[f]

2.

Which of the following would most likely explain why a student is having problems being understood when she says the words think, wreath, the, ruthless?

a)

She is not distinguishing between the voiced & unvoiced /th/ sounds.

b)

She has problems making /r/ sounds.

c)

She is not putting stress on the correct syllables.

d)

She needs more instruction in semantics.

3.

In which of the following would a speaker most likely have rising intonation?

a)

Please bring some bread.

b)

I am afraid.

c)

Frankie & Johnny are waiting outside.

d)

Do you want to watch a movie?

4.

The underlined part of the word rebuilding is

a)

a bound morpheme.

b)

an affix.

c)

a dipthong.

d)

a stem or root.

5.

Which of the following statements is/are true?

a)

A morpheme is the smallest unit of meaning in a language.

b)

All words are morphemes, but not all morphemes are words.

c)

An affix is a free morpheme.

d)

Both A & B are true statements.

6.

Syntax is concerned with which of the following?

a)

how words are combined to convey meaning

b)

stages of second language acquisition

c)

ensuring transfer of language skills from L1 to L2

d)

how words are formed into phrases or sentences

7.

Semantics could be applied to which aspect of everyday English?

a)

the use of quotation marks in quoted speech

b)

the use of idioms

c)

the pronunciation of vowels

d)

the use of commas with conjunctions

8.

Which of the following statements, said while eating Cajun food for the first time at a friend's house, would suggest that an ESOL student has a good grasp of connotative understanding?

a)

This cuisine is delicious.

b)

This slop is delicious.

c)

This feed is delicious.

d)

This stuff that people and animals eat is delicious.

9.

A Spanish speaker who says, " I have fifteen years," when asked how old he is, is likely to make a mistake because of

a)

morphemes.

b)

pronunciation.

c)

metathesis.

d)

interference

10.

Pragmatics is concerned with

a)

the way the voice rises & falls in speech.

b)

how humans produce sounds.

c)

meaning in context.

d)

how words are constructed into phrases or sentences.

11.

While her class is working on a science project, the teacher overhears a native English speaker and a Spanish-speaking ESOL student communicate using an impromptu simple language that seems to have both English and Spanish words. What would their "language" be called?

a)

a pidgin

b)

a social dialect

c)

a regional dialect

d)

Universal Grammar

12.

In an ESOL classroom, the teacher makes an effort to use authentic audio materials that feature English speakers from England, India, Australia, and the United States as well as nonnative English speakers from Europe and Africa. Which concept would explain why this is a good strategy?

a)

Interlanguage

b)

Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) model

c)

Language Experience Approach (LEA)

d)

World Englishes

13.

Which of the four components of communicative competence would involve understanding the appropriate way for a student to speak to the principal while visiting a class at school?

a)

linguistic competence

b)

sociolinguistic competence

c)

discourse competence

d)

strategic competence

14.

Why are Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) usually easier for ESOL students to acquire than Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) skills?

a)

Students can study BICS in textbooks at home.

b)

Jim Cummins developed BICS to be easier than CALP.

c)

ESOL teachers stress BICS over CALP.

d)

BICS are more often context driven, whereas CALP requires more advanced knowledge & skills.

15.

Which of the following sentences is/are correct?

a)

You and he should go to the store.

b)

You and him should go to the store.

c)

Stand and him should go to the store.

d)

Both B and C are written correctly.

16.

A student writes the following sentence on the board: I am going to beach tomorrow. What is the sentence mistakenly missing?

a)

future verb tense

b)

adverbs

c)

determiners

d)

a subject

17.

Which sentence uses the present perfect verb tense?

a)

He's been there a few times already.

b)

Katrina thinks the present is perfect for her mother.

c)

Juan is going to drive home tomorrow.

d)

Sean leaves at 8:00 am everyday.

18.

Identify the prepositional phrase in the following sentence:

Wrapping packages for the soldiers, the kid woman tightly rolled the T-shirts to see how much space remained for the homemade cookies.

a)

wrapping packages for the soldiers

b)

the kind woman

c)

to see how much space

d)

for the homemade cookies

19.

Which sentence is correctly labelled according to its structure?

a)

The grandchildren and their cousins enjoyed their day at the beach. (compound)

b)

Most of the grass has lost its deep color, despite the fall lasting into December. (simple)

c)

The members who had served selflessly were cheering as the sequestration ended. (complex)

d)

Do as you please. (complex)

20.

Which sentence, written by a student, contains a mistake in apostrophe usage?

a)

Stereos used to be a lot bigger.

b)

I can't see the sign from here.

c)

David's bag is still in the car.

d)

Its' paw is hurt.

21.

In which stage of Piaget's cognitive and linguistic development theory is a child most likely to narrate the process she is using to construct a fort with blocks?

a)

sensorimotor

b)

preoperational

c)

concrete operational

d)

formal operational

22.

According to behaviorists, how are children encouraged to string together groups of syllables to form words?

a)

by being provided with rewards and incentives for speech

b)

by being continuously corrected in their attempts at speech

c)

by being continuously spoken to by the adults around them

d)

by being provided with previously learned patterns of sound

23.

Which of Krashen's hypotheses from the monitor model stresses the importance of language as a series of patterns for learners to internalize?

a)

acquisition-learning hypothesis

b)

affective-filter hypothesis

c)

monitor hypothesis

d)

natural order hypothesis

24.

How does Noam Chomsky's theory of Universal Grammar differ from the behaviorist theories that existed before his?

a)

It assumes an innate, genetic capacity to learn language.

b)

It explains how children are exposed to language prior to birth.

c)

It supports the hypothesis that children are born as blank slates.

d)

It is used to demonstrate how children learn to understand phonemes

25.

During which stage of first-language acquisition do children first begin using words with intentional meaning?

a)

babbling

b)

one-word stage

c)

two-word stage

d)

multiword stage

26.

Jamie has just moved from Mexico to Texas, where is mother enrolled him in an ESOL class. A few weeks in, Jamie is still reluctant to speak because he mixes in words from his first language with the English he is learning. Which of the following linguistic behaviors is Jamie demonstrating?

a)

code-switching

b)

cognate awareness

c)

difficulty with accent

d)

language interference

27.

Mrs. Holly has noticed that Ana usually substitutes the /h/ sound each time the /j/ sound should be used in a word. What should she do in order to help Ana develo her pronunciation skills?

a)

Teach Ana about code-switching.

b)

Plan activities that focus on Ana's accent.

c)

Create lessons that teach Ana about cognates.

d)

Discuss Ana's trouble with transfer with a colleague.

28.

Mr. Swenson is trying to help Jacque work through his silent period and begin speaking more in class. What should he do to encourage Jacque's speech?

a)

Assign students in Jacque's class individual oral reports.

b)

Take Jacque aside and work with him privately on speaking.

c)

Tell Jacque that if he does not begin speaking in class he will fail.

d)

Set up a rotation of small-group activities for Jacque's class.

29.

Why do second-language learners develop an interlanguage?

a)

to overcome first-language dominance

b)

to show proficiency in first and second languages

c)

to move past fossilization of second-language acquisition

d)

to help them move forward in their second-language learning

30.

What are some of the factors that may lead to differences in morpheme acquisition order in English language learners?

a)

gender and cognitive interference

b)

age and first-language interference

c)

cognitive and first-language interference

d)

nonlinguistic mental capacities and gender

31.

Lucia enjoys listening to songs in English. She memorizes the choruses and sings them to herself throughout the day, taking note of words that she does not recognize and integrating phrases from the songs into her everyday language practice. When asked about the songs she likes, Lucia can respond in single words and short phrases but still struggles to compose complete sentences. What stage of second-language acquisition might Lucia be in?

a)

preproduction

b)

early production

c)

speech emergence

d)

intermediate fluency

32.

Xiang is highly motivated in his English class. He strives for high grades, rarely misses an assignment, and asks thoughtful questions in class. How can Xiang's teacher continue to encourage his motivation?

a)

by allowing him to skip an assessment

b)

by having him complete easier assignments

c)

by providing him with small-group opportunities

d)

by giving him assignments to complete on his own

33.

Anja has been in Ms. Becht's ESOL class for the past two years and has shown little interest in learning English. She does not participate in group activities and rarely has her assignments completed when she gets to class. Despite many attempts are rewarding Anja for participating and turning in her work, Ms. Becht has made little progress with her. What strategy should Ms. Becht try to motivate Anja?

a)

Allow Anja to create an assignment for herself to complete.

b)

Have Anja working in small groups in order to encourage her to speak.

c)

Provide Anja with a list of simple vocabulary words to memorize and recite.

d)

Design a contract in which Anja can earn homework passes for turning in her work.

34.

Mr. Horn has noticed that Miguel regularly ignores the h in many words. He would like to focus specifically on helping Miguel create the /h/ sound when speaking. What should Mr. Horn do to help Miguel with his /h/ sounds?

a)

Speak more slowly when working with Miguel.

b)

Use only short sentences when speaking to Miguel.

c)

Create a list of h words that Miguel does not know and have him recite them.

d)

Pronounce familiar h words correctly and have Miguel repeat them.

35.

Which of the following is an example of using comprehensible input to increase student vocabulary?

a)

Students are provided with a list of vocabulary words that focuses on a central theme.

b)

Students generate a list of questions regarding vocabulary that they would like to know.

c)

A teacher narrates what she is doing as she shows students how to work a math problem.

d)

A teacher assigns a short reading paragraph that incorporates both familiar and unfamiliar words.

36.

Which of the following scaffolding techniques is least effective in presenting new content to students learning English?

a)

using modified reading materials

b)

previewing vocabulary prior to a lesson

c)

providing students with an outline for notes

d)

performing regular checks for understanding

37.

Which classroom activity would best help students to understand phonemes?

a)

having students map out the syllables in sentences they create

b)

asking students to sound out words they hear and write them down

c)

asking students to write down all the ways they know how to create the /f/ sound

d)

having students break down the words of a story they hear into individual sounds

38.

Which assignment would allow students to practice applying the standard conventions of written English?

a)

editing a friend's history essay

b)

reading a novel for a literature class

c)

discussing how to write a lab report

d)

writing a rough draft of a research paper

39.

Ms. Worth has asked her students to write an updated version of their favorite Greek myth. What genre of writing should she review with them before students begin the task?

a)

expository

b)

descriptive

c)

narrative

d)

procedural

40.

Mylee is interested in doing extra credit for her science class. Her teacher tells her to write a report about the chemical reactions that occur between metals & acids. Which rhetorical pattern is Mylee being asked to write in?

a)

argumentative

b)

cause & effect

c)

listing

d)

problem & solution

41.

Mrs. Holtz has decided to try the Language Experience Approach (LEA) to developing literacy with her ESL class. She pulls students one by one to her desk and has them tell her a story about what they did over their weekend. As students tell the story, Mrs. Holtz writes down what each child says. She makes sure that her written words match the vocabulary that the student uses. She then has the children swap papers with classmates to read about what they have done over the weekend. As Mrs. Holtz walks around the room, she notices that the students are struggling to read each other's papers. Where in her implementation of the LEA did Mrs. Holtz make a mistake?

a)

She has students tell her what they did over the weekend.

b)

She writes down what the students tell her about the events.

c)

She uses the same vocabulary in the writing as the students use in their speech.

d)

She has students swap papers to read about their classmates' weekends.

42.

During which stage of literacy development are students likely to discuss what they are reading in order make sense of the text?

a)

emergent

b)

early

c)

transitional

d)

fluency

43.

Why are students with strong phonological awareness f their native language more likely to suceed in learning to read English?

a)

They have advanced reading levels in their native leanguage.

b)

They have greater exposure to second-language vocabulary.

c)

They have a higher likelihood of knowledge transfer between languages.

d)

They have superior oral skills development in their native and second languages.

44.

Which of the following activities uses the direct method of second-language instruction?

a)

Students are paired together to write a short story.

b)

Students read a play together with each student taking a role.

c)

Students choose a topic from a teacher-provided list and have a discussion about it.

d)

Students give oral presentations on research they have done for their science classes.

45.

In order to ensure that she is using the natural method correctly, Mrs. Holmes must do which of the following?

a)

provide specific targeted vocabulary

b)

require students to speak in the target language

c)

provide instruction in the students' first languages

d)

make specific corrections to grammatical errors

46.

Why do some language theorists and instructors OPPOSE the grammar-translation method of foreign language instruction?

a)

Students are taught in their native languages.

b)

Students do not learn to write in the target language.

c)

Students acquire vocabulary through reading exercises.

d)

Students are not required to speak in the target language.

47.

Mr. Hanson's students are learning new vocabulary that they might use in everyday conversation. They listen to a recording once, repeating each line after the speaker. As students recite back what they have heard, Mr. Hanson praises the pronunciation of some students while ignoring that of others.

What method of instruction is Mr. Hanson practicing?

a)

audio-lingual

b)

induction

c)

direct method

d)

grammar-translation

48.

Karla has been practicing interactions she will have with friends at her new school. She has been working to understand idimatic expressions & rehearsing their use in casual conversation.

What is Karla working to improve?

a)

communicative competence

b)

morpheme acquisition

c)

phonemic awareness

d)

rhetorical patterns

49.

Which of the following would be considered task-based instruction?

a)

students listen to songs on the radio, select a song, & rehearse the lyrics; they use the chorus of the song as a conversation starter

b)

students translate passages from their favorite short stories; they trade papers with a partner and read each other's papers

c)

students organize a classroom party using their target language; they create a detailed plan, distributing responsibility and mapping out activities

d)

students read aloud to one another from texts provided by the teacher; then they take turns asking one another questions about the text

50.

Mrs. Rose would like to try total physical response with one of her classes. Which class would this method MOST benefit?

a)

students who are preparing to exit ESOL instruction

b)

students who are in their first year of ESOL instruction

c)

students who demonstrate advanced speaking & listening skills

d)

students who demonstrate intermediate intermediate reading & writing skills

51.

Which of the following manipulatives is NOT commonly found in a Silent Way classroom?

a)

Cuisenaire rods

b)

Fidel charts

c)

sound-color charts

d)

translation charts

52.

Ms. Ortega is a new ESOL teacher, and she has been assigned to provide push-in instruction to students in an 8th grade English Language Arts class. Which of the following activities would NOT be a good use of Ms. Ortega's specialized training?

a)

helping her co-teacher grade multiple-choice quizzes from the language learners in her class

b)

creating differentiated materials for language learners in the classroom

c)

contributing to the co-teacher's lesson plan and helping her to execute it with the language learners in the classroom

d)

working with a small group of English language learners to understand a difficult passage in the novel the class is reading

53.

Pull-out ESOL instruction is most commonly found in which academic setting?

a)

preschool level

b)

elementary school

c)

middle school

d)

high school

54.

What is unique about the SIOP model of instruction?

a)

Students are in a classroom with their peers for only some of their content studies.

b)

Students are in a self-contained classroom in which they learn both content and language skills.

c)

Teachers work in pairs to provide students with content and linguistic instruction in a single classroom setting.

d)

Teachers travel with language learners from class to class and work with them in their content classrooms.

55.

According to the SIOP model, how frequently should students' learning be assessed.

a)

daily

b)

weekly

c)

monthly

d)

biannually

56.

Which of the following statements is a clearly written language objective?

a)

Students will learn about the Battle of Antietam.

b)

Students will write a summary of their science lab.

c)

Students will identify and define the adjectives used in a character description.

d)

Students will listen to two pianists' interpretation of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.

57.

Mr. Carson wants to conduct a classroom experiment to see how many students are able to get an inflated balloon from one side of the room to the other without using their arms, legs, or mouths. He has set some obstacles in the room for students to get around, including a large blue tarp on the floor that he has labeled quicksand. Any student who touches the quicksand is automatically out.


What kind of cognitive strategy should MR. Carson model for students before allowing them to complete the activity?

a)

comprehension strategy

b)

problem-solving strategy

c)

reasoning strategy

d)

writing strategy

58.

Which of the following strategies is NOT intended to aid students in activating prior knowledge?

a)

asking questions about the content

b)

introducing vocabulary before content

c)

using graphic organizers, diagrams, and outlines

d)

listening to an expert speaker discuss the content

59.

Ms. Perry is teaching a lesson on the grammatical structure of compound-complex sentences to one of her intermediate ESOL classes. What linguistic area is she focusing on?

a)

content-based instruction

b)

discrete language skills

c)

integrated language skills

d)

task-based instruction

60.

Why are students usually slower to gain cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP) than they are to learn basic interpersonal communication skills (BICS)?

a)

Students are provided vocabulary words to study while they are learning BICS.

b)

Students are not provided with any interpersonal context to assist them in developing CALP.

c)

BICS relies entirely on facial cues, which students are familiar with because of their first language.

d)

CALP calls for a greater use of higher-order thinking skills because of a reduction of contextual clues.

61.

Which of the following activities involves the use of semi-authentic materials?

a)

Students watch several television commercials and compare the products being advertised.

b)

Students read a newspaper article and create a list of questions that they would ask the reporter.

c)

Students watch an adapted version of Taming of the Shrew and discuss the plot and characters in the play.

d)

Students read a series of ad campaigns for local politicians and discuss which mayoral candidate they think would be best for the city.

62.

Which of the following is considered a best practice for working with ESOL students?

a)

Provide students with written instruction.

b)

Avoid the use of students' native languages in instruction.

c)

Correlate academic and linguistic standards whenever possible.

d)

Speak at a conversational pace to help students acclimate to conversation.

63.

Melvil tries to participate in his ESOL classes each day. However, he finds it difficult to focus when there is no movement involved in the lesson. What kind of learner is Melvil likely to be considered?

a)

auditory learner

b)

kinesthetic learner

c)

tactile learner

d)

visual learner

64.

Mr. Osborne is working on a banking and finance unit with his students. he is hoping to create some hands-on activities that will simulate real financial transactions. What might Mr. Osborne use in his lessons to make students' experiences feel more authentic?

a)

Internet websites that discuss banking procedures

b)

audio recordings of a person's interaction with a bank teller

c)

realia such as deposit slips and account statements

d)

a computer software program that simulates what bank accounts look like

65.

Mikko is motivated by his grandson's enthusiasm and enjoyment of his English lessons. He has decided to take lessons as well. What is likely to be the outcome of Mikko's lessons.

a)

He will become fluent in English if he persists in practicing.

b)

He will learn to read and write in English but is unlikely to speak the language.

c)

He will learn to speak and understand English but is unlikely to read or write it.

d)

He will gain proficiency in English with practice but will not become completely fluent.

66.

How does the affective domain influence language learning?

a)

It controls students' emotional responses to learning experiences.

b)

It controls students' physical capacities to produce speech and writing.

c)

It controls students' reasoning capacity to understand and transfer linguistic knowledge.

d)

It controls students' conceptual ability to comprehend how elements of language work together.

67.

After administration in different settings and under different conditions, an assessment has been shown to produce consistent outcomes.

What quality does this assessment demonstrate?

a)

practicality

b)

construct validity

c)

reliability

d)

content validity

68.

Which of the following assessments can be used to measure language proficiency in all four common language domains?

a)

BSM II and BINL

b)

BINL and LAS

c)

LAS and IPT

d)

IPT and BSM II

69.

Which is the key purpose of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965?

a)

to establish equal educational opportunity for all students

b)

to hold schools accountable for student performance

c)

to legally require school districts to administer language placement tests

d)

to identify students whose primary language is not English.

70.

Which is the one way that the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) differs from the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)?

a)

The federal government will take the lead in establishing accountability guidelines and measures that are compulsory for all states.

b)

States are provided with the authority to designate & provide programs for students who face societal or environmental obstacles to optimal learning.

c)

The federal government will no longer require states to demonstrate accountability in relation to student achievement due to new laws passed by Congress

d)

States are provided more authority to establish accountability guidelines and measures appropriate to the specific educational needs of their student populations.

71.

Mr. Williams has presented a student with for pictures of a cat and asked the student to point to the picture that shows the cat sleeping.

Which best explains the language skills Mr. Williams is assessing?

a)

receptive language skills

b)

productive language skills

c)

social language skills

d)

expressive language skills

72.

Which of the following choices states the main purpose of a standardized test?

a)

to provide a holistic measure of student progress along the continuum of the school year

b)

to provide a formal measure of student achievement using predetermined and established scoring material

c)

to provide an informal measure of student ability based on observations of student progress

d)

to provide a measure of student achievement in a context that incorporates creativity, innovation, insight, and collaboration