NES Profile: English Learners II (512)
Print page with expanded content.
Overview
The resources below provide information about this test, including the approximate percentage of the total test score derived from each content domain. The complete set of the competencies and descriptive statements that define the content of the test—the test framework—is provided here.
Select from the links below to view:
- the test competencies associated with the content domain,
- a set of descriptive statements that further explain each competency,
- a sample test question aligned to each competency.
Table outlining test structure. Column one contains the structural headings and column two are the structural details.
| Test Field |
English Learners II (512) |
| Test Format |
Multiple-choice questions |
| Number of Questions |
Approximately 100 |
| Test Duration |
135 minutes
- 15 minutes for tutorial and nondisclosure agreement
- 120 minutes testing time
|
| Reference Materials |
None required |
Hover over chart or review table below for details.
Chart is defined in table below.
Content Domain Ione: Foundations of Instruction for English Learners
Competencies 0001– to 0007
Recommendation for individuals using a screenreader: please set your punctuation settings to "most."
Descriptive Statements:
- Apply knowledge of phonology, including phonemes, stress, intonation, and rhythm, to promote English learners' language and literacy development.
- Apply knowledge of morphology, including how word structure (e.g., roots, prefixes, suffixes), inflectional endings (e.g., -s, -ed, -ing, -er, -est), and derivational affixes (e.g., un-, dis-, -ly, -ment, -ion) affect a word's function and meaning, to promote English learners' language and literacy development.
- Apply knowledge of syntax, including parts of speech (e.g., verbs, adverbs, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, prepositions, conjunctions) and the structure of phrases and sentences, to promote English learners' language and literacy development.
- Apply knowledge of semantics, including word relationships (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, homonyms) and the distinction in meaning of words and idioms in various contexts, to promote English learners' language and literacy development.
- Apply knowledge of discourse features of written and oral texts (e.g., speech acts, genres, discourse markers) to promote English learners' language and literacy development.
- Apply knowledge of pragmatic features of language (e.g., nonverbal elements, formal and informal discourse), various discourse settings (e.g., classroom, social event), and language functions (e.g., narrating, informing, explaining, arguing, persuading), as well as factors (e.g., cultural and social norms, purpose, audience) that affect choice of pragmatic features, to promote English learners' language and literacy development.
- Apply knowledge of the linguistic features of social, general-academic, and discipline-specific language (e.g., tiered vocabulary: Tier One—everyday speech words, Tier Two—general-academic words, Tier Three—discipline-specific words) to promote English learners' language and literacy development.
- Apply knowledge of sociolinguistic concepts, including language variation (e.g., dialect diversity in English) and register (i.e., language particular to specific functions), to promote English learners' language and literacy development.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for comparing English learners' home languages with English to identify potential transference between languages as well as aspects of English that may be challenging for English learners.
- Apply knowledge of culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining strategies for engaging English learners in making connections and comparisons between language systems and using knowledge of language systems as an empowering tool for learning languages.
Sample Item:
An EL teacher introduces fourth-grade students to the following sets of words.
| bake |
baker |
| work |
worker |
| teach |
teacher |
| drive |
driver |
The teacher asks the students what they notice about the two sets of words. Students identify the morpheme -er and infer the meaning of the morpheme. This activity primarily fosters the students' English language development by:
- promoting their linguistic awareness, which will support comprehension when they encounter unfamiliar words with the same morpheme.
- scaffolding their transfer of morphological knowledge from their home language(s) into English.
- providing them with options for circumlocution when they are trying to produce English words with newly learned morphemes.
- teaching them how to isolate features of morphologically complex academic vocabulary words.
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
A. Because the students go through the process of examining a collection of morphologically similar words and deducing the function of the -er morpheme, they are likely to apply the knowledge they have gained to make meaning out of unfamiliar words with the same structure they encounter in the future.
Descriptive Statements:
- Demonstrate knowledge of current theories and key concepts in new-language acquisition, including the importance of promoting and sustaining bilingualism/multilingualism as an asset and a goal for English learners.
- Demonstrate understanding that English learners' home languages are an asset for learning English and influence English language learning (e.g., language and literacy skills transfer, interlanguage development, code-switching, translanguaging).
- Demonstrate knowledge of cognitive, metacognitive, and metalinguistic processes and strategies involved in learning a new language (e.g., memorization, generalization, fossilization, self-monitoring, reflection, circumlocution, comparison), and apply knowledge of strategies for explicitly teaching English learners effective language-learning and self-monitoring strategies to promote their language development and engagement in self-directed learning.
- Understand the role of comprehensible input and output in acquiring a new language and apply knowledge of strategies for using comprehensible input and output for scaffolding English learners' comprehension and use of English in social and academic contexts.
- Demonstrate knowledge of stages and processes of new-language development, including the distinctions between the five levels of English language proficiency as defined in the TESOL Pre-K–12 English Language Proficiency Standards Framework (i.e., Level 1—starting, Level 2—emerging, Level 3—developing, Level 4—expanding, and Level 5—bridging).
- Understand the role of feedback in language instruction and demonstrate knowledge of strategies for providing appropriate feedback (e.g., recasting, explicit correction) in various contexts.
Sample Item:
Use the information below to answer the question that follows.
An EL teacher engages a first-grade student in a conversation about a story following a whole-class read-aloud.
Teacher: What was your favorite part of the story?
Student: Bear! Bear say, "I not scared, you scared!"
Teacher: When Bear is feeling scared, he says, "I'm not scared, you're scared!"
Student: (laughing) Bear scared of everything!
Teacher: Let's look at this illustration. What is Bear scared of here?
Student: The bridge. Look! It is old. Bear scared to fall in.
Teacher: I would be scared just like Bear! Bear doesn't want to fall through the old, rickety bridge.
Student: I scare too! But look here! (points to the illustration) Bear save Rabbit from falling.
Teacher: Yes! Bear saved Rabbit when the bridge broke. Bear was scared, but he saved Rabbit.
The student's oral language production is most consistent with which stage of English proficiency?
- responding to simple questions nonverbally and with single words
- producing comprehensible sentences with some grammatical errors
- communicating limited information using memorized and scripted phrases
- incorporating content-specific academic vocabulary when expressing thoughts
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
B. The transcript of the conversation indicates that the student can produce a variety of original complete sentences that clearly convey their ideas. The sentences contain a few grammatical errors that do not interfere with meaning.
Descriptive Statements:
- Demonstrate understanding of English learners' individual mitigating variables, such as age, affective filter, identities, self-esteem, and motivation, and how they affect language learning and inform instruction.
- Demonstrate knowledge of sociocultural factors (e.g., cultural, racial, ethnic, and linguistic identity; bilingualism, multilingualism) and how they affect language learning and inform instruction.
- Demonstrate knowledge of characteristics, assets, and challenges of English learners, including newcomers, long-term English learners, English learners with limited or interrupted formal education, English learners with disabilities, and English learners who are gifted.
- Demonstrate knowledge of appropriate strategies for learning about English learners' interests, languages, cultures, educational backgrounds, background knowledge, and life experiences using a variety of resources, such as parent advisory committees, families, students, classroom observations, community organizations, surveys, community outreach, technology, or school records.
Sample Item:
EL teachers from several schools in a district collaborate with administrators and the families of English learners to establish a parent/caregiver advisory committee. The teachers can most effectively promote the academic success of English learners by establishing which primary action goal for the new committee?
- recruiting teachers from diverse backgrounds to work with students in EL programs
- ensuring that translation services are available to English learners in the general education setting
- building strategic partnerships between families, community members, and EL programs
- establishing focus groups composed of family members and administrators to evaluate the effectiveness of teachers who work with English learners
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
C. Research has shown that students who are English learners benefit academically when a school district finds flexible and creative ways to involve parents and caregivers in their children's education. Cultivating meaningful relationships with relevant community organizations can enhance the connection between the home cultures of students and parents/caregivers and the school culture while also extending student learning beyond the classroom.
Descriptive Statements:
- Apply strategies for selecting and designing assessments (e.g., formal, informal, norm referenced, criterion referenced, language proficiency assessments, curriculum based, performance based) for English learners that are culturally and linguistically responsive and appropriate for the identified purpose(s).
- Understand how to interpret results from assessments used with English learners for various purposes, such as diagnosis, placement, evaluation of language proficiency, evaluation of academic progress, or screening for giftedness or learning disabilities.
- Recognize potential linguistic and cultural biases (e.g., unfamiliar test language, images, references, test formats) and psychological factors (e.g., limited test experience, text anxiety) associated with the assessment of English learners that may affect assessment validity, reliability, and equity.
- Demonstrate knowledge of appropriate and allowable testing accommodations and content modifications for English learners.
- Recognize the importance of assessing English learners using various methods of assessment (e.g., formal, informal) that are culturally and linguistically responsive and the importance of conducting ongoing assessment to inform and adjust instruction.
- Recognize when the English language performance of an English learner falls outside the expected range for the student's English proficiency level and may indicate the need for classroom interventions, further testing, or additional services.
- Demonstrate knowledge of culturally and linguistically responsive strategies for communicating assessment results to stakeholders.
Sample Item:
Use the information below to answer the question that follows.
As part of the annual process for identifying and placing English learners, an EL teacher reviews data relevant to a newcomer fifth-grade student. An excerpt of the data is shown below.
Student Information
Name: Student Age: 10 Grade: 5
| Parent/Guardian Questionnaire |
Response |
| What is the language most frequently spoken at home? |
English |
blank |
Other |
✔check |
| What language did your child learn when they began to talk? |
English |
blank |
Other |
✔check |
| What language does your child most frequently speak at home? |
English |
blank |
Other |
✔check |
| What language do you most frequently speak to your child? |
English |
blank |
Other |
✔check |
| Student Questionnaire |
Verbal Response |
| How many years were you in school before coming to the United States? In the United States? |
"Three years. I started school in the U.S. three years ago." |
| Can you read or write in your home language? |
"I know some words but not many. I can read and write more in English." |
| How much help do you need in English? |
"I can talk to my friends in English. That's easy! I have a hard time with science and history because I don't know the words." |
| Standardized Measure |
Score Interpretation |
| IDEA Oral Language Proficiency Test |
Level D—Intermediate |
Which additional source of information should the EL teacher obtain to determine the most appropriate program placement for the student?
- self-rating scale to identify interests, preferences, and areas of academic needs
- criterion-referenced tests to quantify literacy skills in English and the home language(s)
- performance on language assessments in comparison to grade-level peers in the same district
- measurements of content-area knowledge in English and the home language(s)
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
B. The provided data include verbal responses from the student, the results of an oral proficiency assessment, and a subjective statement by the student about their literacy levels in English and the home language. The most important next step would be to determine to what extent the student can participate in print-based academic activities. This goal could best be achieved by gaining an objective measure of the student's literacy levels in both languages through a standards-based assessment.
Descriptive Statements:
- Apply knowledge of culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining research-based methods and resources (e.g., leveraging students' home-language literacy skills; providing direct, explicit instruction to support students' individual learning goals; using visuals; building schemata and background knowledge; building on students' oral language to support literacy development) for appropriately differentiating and scaffolding English learners' instruction in foundational English literacy skills, including print concepts and letter recognition and formation, phonemic awareness, phonics and other word identification strategies, spelling, fluency, vocabulary, text comprehension, the writing process, and the writing conventions of English.
- Apply knowledge of culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining research-based methods of effective vocabulary instruction, such as direct teaching of specific words; building background knowledge; promoting development of independent word-learning strategies (e.g., morphological or structural analysis, recognizing word origins and cognates, contextual analysis, consulting reference materials); developing students' word consciousness; building vocabulary knowledge related to specific texts; providing multiple, meaningful exposures to new words through listening and reading; and opportunities to use new words meaningfully in speaking and writing.
- Apply knowledge of culturally and linguistically sustaining strategies for promoting English learners' understanding and use of writing processes (e.g., prewriting to generate ideas and plan writing, producing drafts, revising to improve text, editing text, publishing text to share with an audience, adjusting writing process as necessary, setting goals for improvement).
Sample Item:
Use the information below to answer the question that follows.
As part of the annual process for identifying and placing English learners, an EL teacher reviews data relevant to a newcomer fifth-grade student. An excerpt of the data is shown below.
Student Information
Name: Student Age: 10 Grade: 5
| Parent/Guardian Questionnaire |
Response |
| What is the language most frequently spoken at home? |
English |
blank |
Other |
✔check |
| What language did your child learn when they began to talk? |
English |
blank |
Other |
✔check |
| What language does your child most frequently speak at home? |
English |
blank |
Other |
✔check |
| What language do you most frequently speak to your child? |
English |
blank |
Other |
✔check |
| Student Questionnaire |
Verbal Response |
| How many years were you in school before coming to the United States? In the United States? |
"Three years. I started school in the U.S. three years ago." |
| Can you read or write in your home language? |
"I know some words but not many. I can read and write more in English." |
| How much help do you need in English? |
"I can talk to my friends in English. That's easy! I have a hard time with science and history because I don't know the words." |
| Standardized Measure |
Score Interpretation |
| IDEA Oral Language Proficiency Test |
Level D—Intermediate |
Which strategy would most effectively foster the student's academic progress and English language development?
- creating opportunities for the student to engage with content-specific vocabulary words in purposeful contexts
- using the student's home-language literacy skills to expand reading and writing proficiency in English
- promoting the student's facility in comprehending and responding to questions eliciting basic information
- providing opportunities for the student to engage in informal discussions with friends and peers
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
A. The student has indicated that they are comfortable using English in social situations and finds talking about academic content challenging due to lack of familiarity with some vocabulary. The most effective strategy for promoting the student's academic progress would be to leverage their intermediate-level oral language skills to engage them in meaningful academic tasks incorporating content-specific vocabulary.
Descriptive Statements:
- Apply knowledge of strategies for creating a culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining learning environment that empowers students intellectually, socially, emotionally, and politically and that leverages English learners' home languages, cultures, and funds of knowledge as valuable assets for learning and resources for teaching.
- Recognize the role of culture in the learning environment, including the influence of cultural differences, such as values and beliefs, educational background, approaches to learning (e.g., cooperative versus competitive, individual versus group), and stages of acclimation to a new learning environment (e.g., cultural shock, euphoria, silent period, cultural fatigue), that may affect English learners' language development and academic achievement.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for creating and managing a safe, trauma-informed, respectful, and supportive student-centered learning environment that promotes English learners' participation, collaboration, and learning in a variety of settings (e.g., whole class, flexible grouping, independent learning, individualized instruction) and encourages students to be actively involved in learning, take risks, and extend their learning inside and outside the learning environment.
- Apply knowledge of cultural differences in communication styles (e.g., nonverbal elements, turn-taking conventions, role of silence, social distancing) and effective communication practices (e.g., providing clear directions, using a variety of questioning techniques) for facilitating cross-cultural interactions and communication.
- Recognize the effects of racism, stereotyping, prejudice, bias, and discrimination, and apply strategies for discussing these issues purposefully with students with the goal of promoting a respectful and inclusive learning environment (e.g., designing instruction that reflects antibias approaches, recognizing students' language rights and individual identity).
Sample Item:
An EL teacher incorporates opportunities for students to teach one another greetings and salutations from their home language(s) and/or culture(s) into daily morning meetings. The teacher's strategy promotes students' academic success primarily by:
- fostering meaningful relationships among students from multiple cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
- cultivating students' curiosity about cultural and linguistic traditions beyond their own.
- providing a venue for students to connect specific cultural and linguistic experiences to academic learning.
- creating a classroom environment that celebrates students' cultural and linguistic heritages.
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
D. Ensuring that all students have the opportunity to share linguistic and cultural elements from their unique backgrounds in a school setting fosters respect for all heritages. Inclusion of this practice as a regular feature in a classroom routine also highlights the linguistic and cultural assets each student already possesses that are complementary to their progress in English language development and academic content learning.
Descriptive Statements:
- Demonstrate knowledge of key court cases and key legislation and federal policies that affect the education of English learners (e.g., Lau v. Nichols, Castañeda v. Pickard, Plyler v. Doe, Title VIIseven of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1968 [Bilingual Education Act], Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 [IDEIA], Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 [ESSA]).
- Demonstrate knowledge of national requirements for identifying, placing, and exiting students from programs for English learners.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the characteristics, goals, and effectiveness of various program models (e.g., two-way bilingual education; dual language education; sheltered English instruction; structured English immersion, pull-out and push-in instruction).
- Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for advocating for the implementation of effective co-teaching models that promote integrated culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining English language and content teaching and learning.
- Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for modeling effective culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining teaching and education practices for teachers, educators, and other stakeholders who work with English learners.
- Understand how to use self-reflection and other approaches to inform and adjust instructional practices and professional behavior (e.g., recognizing effects of personal cultural identity, prior experiences, and potential implicit biases on teaching practices; seeking feedback from stakeholders; conducting action research; using professional reflection to identify personal strengths and areas for improvement, including professional development) and to recognize how one's cultural values, beliefs, and cultural competence relate to the equitable education of English learners.
- Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for sharing with educators and school staff an awareness of the influence that culture (e.g., ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, values, gender identity, beliefs, expectations, patterns of communication) and personal cultural identity, background, and implicit biases can have on educational practices, and collaborate with educators and school staff to identify and prevent potential cultural misunderstandings, misconceptions, arbitrary requirements, inappropriate curricular expectations, and assessment assumptions that can negatively impact English learners' equitable access to educational opportunities and academic success.
- Demonstrate knowledge of effective strategies for building partnerships and collaborating with stakeholders (e.g., teachers, administrators, other educational staff, parents/caregivers, community partners) to raise an awareness of the importance of promoting and sustaining bilingualism/multilingualism as an asset and a goal for English learners and to facilitate English learners' language and literacy development, access to equitable education, and academic success.
- Recognize the role of parents/caregivers in English learners' education; recognize that their practices and participation in the education of a child vary across cultures; and apply strategies for facilitating positive school/home interactions and developing opportunities for engagement and partnership.
Sample Item:
Which statement is most consistent with the pedagogical objective of two-way bilingual education?
- Two-way bilingual education promotes bilingualism for all students through teaching content-area subjects in English and in another language of instruction.
- Two-way bilingual education focuses on both comprehensible input and comprehensible output in developing students' English language skills.
- Two-way bilingual education offers small-group language instruction in English to facilitate students' access to the general education curriculum.
- Two-way bilingual education utilizes students' home language(s) as scaffolds for teaching both academic concepts and English language skills.
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
A. The goal of the two-way bilingual education model is to cultivate each student's proficiency in two target languages by using both of them primarily as vehicles for content learning.
Content Domain II: Integration of Language Development and Content Learning
Competencies 0008– to 0010
Descriptive Statements:
- Demonstrate understanding of the TESOL Pre-K–12 English Language Proficiency Standards Framework and apply strategies for establishing grade-level-appropriate academic and language development goals and expectations for English learners at various levels of proficiency that are aligned with relevant student learning standards.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for designing culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining standards-based instruction and co-teaching instruction (e.g., co-teaching models) that build on assessment results and knowledge of students and that incorporate grade-level-appropriate linguistic goals and expectations for English learners at various levels of proficiency.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for identifying and incorporating in lesson planning key academic and content-specific language needed for English learners at various levels of proficiency to engage successfully in grade-level content learning, including as part of specific lessons, curriculum units, projects, or activities and in co-teaching contexts, and for incorporating appropriate related scaffolds, visual aids, differentiation, and assessments as part of lesson planning.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for contextualizing content and vocabulary (e.g., through demonstrations; using realia and visual scaffolding such as illustrations and graphic organizers; relating to students' background knowledge) and modifying language without simplifying content (e.g., providing comprehensible input by repeating key concepts, breaking up long sentences, and/or paraphrasing) to make content-area lessons accessible to English learners.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for implementing culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining instruction and co-teaching instruction that leverage and validate English learners' funds of knowledge (e.g., linguistic, cultural, experiential, social-emotional) as assets and resources for making connections with and accessing grade-level content.
- Apply knowledge of culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining instruction and co-teaching instruction that promote English learners' use of their full linguistic repertoires (e.g., code-switching; translanguaging practices) to successfully engage in grade-level content learning, collaborative problem solving, and meaningful communication.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for selecting culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining materials, resources, and technologies that effectively promote English learners' access to standards-based and grade-level language and content learning.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for promoting English learners' engagement in self-directed language and content learning through the use of problem-solving and cognitive-learning skills (e.g., note-taking skills, organizational skills, study skills, research skills, test-taking skills) and strategies (e.g., categorizing words and concepts, integrating prior knowledge with new ideas, self-reflection and self-monitoring).
- Apply knowledge of appropriate and effective scaffolding strategies, such as verbal scaffolding (e.g., prompting, questioning, elaborating), procedural scaffolding (e.g., explicit teaching, modeling), and metacognitive scaffolding (e.g., planning, regulating, evaluating), for promoting English learners' language and content learning and verifying comprehension.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for developing, scaffolding, and implementing a variety of ongoing classroom assessments and common assessments (e.g., formative, summative, self-assessments) that effectively and appropriately measure English learners' language development and academic progress.
- Apply knowledge of techniques for analyzing, interpreting, and synthesizing classroom assessment results to reflect on, inform, and make purposeful adjustments to language, literacy, and content instruction for English learners at various levels of proficiency.
Sample Item:
Use the information below to answer the question that follows.
An EL teacher engages a first-grade student in a conversation about a story following a whole-class read-aloud.
Teacher: What was your favorite part of the story?
Student: Bear! Bear say, "I not scared, you scared!"
Teacher: When Bear is feeling scared, he says, "I'm not scared, you're scared!"
Student: (laughing) Bear scared of everything!
Teacher: Let's look at this illustration. What is Bear scared of here?
Student: The bridge. Look! It is old. Bear scared to fall in.
Teacher: I would be scared just like Bear! Bear doesn't want to fall through the old, rickety bridge.
Student: I scare too! But look here! (points to the illustration) Bear save Rabbit from falling.
Teacher: Yes! Bear saved Rabbit when the bridge broke. Bear was scared, but he saved Rabbit.
The EL teacher supports the student's engagement in the conversation by incorporating primarily which instructional strategy?
- providing corrective feedback about grammatical production
- using multiple prompts to scaffold expressive production
- building on prior knowledge and personal interests
- integrating comprehensible input with visual aids
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
D. Comprehensible input refers to communication with English learners designed to both provide supports for understanding language and strategically incorporating language slightly above their current proficiency level. The teacher uses visuals from the story as a reference for eliciting statements from the student about their understanding of the read-aloud. Additional comprehensible input strategies the teacher uses to facilitate student engagement in the conversation include repetition of key language (e.g., "to be scared [of]") in different contexts, building on and paraphrasing student output, and introducing higher-level words (e.g., "rickety").
Descriptive Statements:
- Apply knowledge of strategies for designing culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining standards-based instruction and co-instruction (e.g., co-teaching models) that build on assessment results and knowledge of students and that incorporate grade-level-appropriate interpretive language development goals and expectations for English learners at various levels of proficiency.
- Apply knowledge of culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining research-based methods (e.g., engaging students in close reading, including rereading; scaffolding access to texts for students reading below grade level; choosing academic and literary texts that reflect students' home cultures and interests) and resources for differentiating and scaffolding instruction for English learners at various levels of proficiency related to reading and constructing meaning from grade-level-appropriate literary and informational texts in English (e.g., determining the meaning of words and phrases, determining a central idea or theme, explaining how central ideas or themes are developed by supporting ideas or evidence, summarizing a text, analyzing and describing elements of fiction and nonfiction texts).
- Apply knowledge of culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining research-based methods and resources for differentiating and scaffolding instruction for English learners at various levels of proficiency related to listening and viewing skills (e.g., constructing meaning from oral presentations, determining a theme or central idea and how it is conveyed through particular details, determining the meaning of words and phrases in oral presentations, integrating and evaluating information presented in diverse media and formats, delineating a speaker's argument and specific claims).
- Apply knowledge of culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining research-based strategies for promoting English learners' use of listening, reading, and viewing skills to gain understanding (e.g., focusing attention, observing, gaining and interpreting information, checking for understanding), conduct research, evaluate findings, and analyze and critique the arguments of others.
Sample Item:
An EL teacher and a tenth-grade classroom teacher identify strategies to promote English learners' understanding of scientific concepts during an introductory lesson. Which instructional strategy would most effectively support the teachers' goal?
- previewing with students the questions they will be asked following the lesson to promote active listening
- recording videos of the lesson so that students can review them when they are unclear about new information
- having students take notes recording the main idea and key details that they can reference following the lesson
- asking students to note questions they have about the topic to ask in a question-and-answer session at the end of the lesson
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
A. Because English learners need to process both new language and concepts during oral content learning activities, they benefit from strategies that help them focus their attention and provide them with increased exposure to relevant language. A research-based strategy for facilitating students' participation in an introductory oral content lesson is frontloading questions that students will be asked to answer at the end of the lesson. This practice allows for student engagement with new vocabulary and language structures necessary to access the content while providing them with clues about where to focus their listening.
Descriptive Statements:
- Apply knowledge of strategies for designing culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining standards-based instruction and co-instruction (e.g., co-teaching models) that build on assessment results and knowledge of students and that incorporate grade-level-appropriate expressive language development goals and expectations for English learners at various levels of proficiency.
- Apply knowledge of culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining research-based methods and resources for differentiating and scaffolding instruction for English learners at various levels of proficiency related to speaking skills (e.g., preparing for and engaging effectively in a range of discussions on grade-level-appropriate complex literary and informational texts and topics; following rules for collegial discussions; constructing claims and supporting them with reasoning and evidence; making counterclaims; adapting language choices to purpose, task, and audience; using appropriate register to communicate, inform, explain, argue, or persuade in grade-level-appropriate speech).
- Apply knowledge of culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining research-based methods and resources for differentiating and scaffolding instruction for English learners at various levels of proficiency related to writing processes to produce texts for a variety of purposes in English (e.g., producing clear and coherent writing appropriate to task, purpose, and audience; constructing a claim about a variety of grade-level-appropriate complex topics; providing compelling and logically ordered evidence that effectively supports a claim; providing reasoning to explain how the evidence supports a claim; providing a concluding statement; acquiring and accurately using grade-level-appropriate general-academic and domain-specific words and phrases; writing narratives to develop experiences or events using effective techniques, details, and sequencing; using English structures to communicate context-specific messages, inform, explain, argue, or persuade; developing and strengthening the writing process; using technology to produce and publish writing).
- Apply knowledge of culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining research-based methods and resources for differentiating and scaffolding instruction for English learners at various levels of proficiency related to producing written text-based responses and research-based writing from sources in English and other languages (e.g., developing personal, cultural, textual, and thematic connections within and across genres; conducting research projects to answer a question or solve a problem; gathering relevant information from multiple print and digital sources; using search terms effectively; drawing evidence from informational or literary texts to support reflection, analysis, and research; quoting or paraphrasing the data and conclusions of others using charts, diagrams, or other graphics; citing sources using a recognized standard format, such as APA or MLA).
- Apply knowledge of culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining strategies for creating multiple opportunities for English learners to engage in authentic and meaningful oral, written, and multimedia exchanges of information, ideas, and analyses; respond to peer, audience, or reader comments and questions; and analyze and critique the arguments of others.
Sample Item:
An EL teacher overhears a kindergarten student at Level 3 (developing) of English-speaking proficiency tell a peer a story while engaging in imaginative play. Following is an excerpt of the student's narrative.
I dream about this. [Student points to an illustration of a unicorn.] It fly up to me, "Do you want to come fly … jump on!" [Student pretends to gallop like a horse.] I feel happy and a little scare. It was pink and sparkles—here. [Student points to the wings of the unicorn in the illustration.] It jump up and out come a rainbow. [Student gestures an arc in the shape of a rainbow.] I jump on. We fly over the town. I see people. They small, like ants. We fly to the moon. I say "It so late. Time for bed!" It bring me home.
To continue to promote the student's oral narrative skills, the teacher could primarily work with the student on which language skill?
- incorporating characters' thoughts and responses to events
- including adjectives to expand on descriptive details
- using cohesive devices to link a series of events in the story
- including verbs describing mental states and conditions
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
C. The student is able to clearly narrate a series of events in a linear way. The next step in promoting the student's narrative skills would be to learn about and apply the use of cohesive devices indicating time and sequence, (e.g., "first," "next," "then," "finally") to promote clarity and flow of ideas.
View Cart