ALT Teaching English Language Learners 3

Question 1

Which instructional model places ELL students in mainstream classrooms for most of the day while receiving pull-out ESL support?

Accepted Answer

Sheltered instruction with pull-out ESL

Answer

Sheltered instruction with pull-out ESL integrates ELLs in mainstream classes and provides additional language support outside the general classroom.

Question 2

Cummins' distinction between BICS and CALP is important for ELL instruction because:

Accepted Answer

Students may appear conversationally fluent yet still need support for academic language tasks

Answer

BICS (social language) develops faster than CALP (academic language), so conversational fluency can mask gaps in academic proficiency.

Question 3

A teacher uses Total Physical Response (TPR) with beginning ELLs. What is the primary benefit of this approach?

Accepted Answer

It connects language to physical movement, reducing anxiety and building meaning

Answer

TPR links verbal commands to physical actions, making meaning concrete and lowering the affective filter for beginning language learners.

Question 4

An ELL student who arrived two years ago scores proficient on oral fluency but below grade level on reading comprehension tests. The BEST explanation is:

Accepted Answer

Academic literacy (CALP) takes 5–7 years to develop to grade-level proficiency

Answer

Research shows academic language proficiency typically takes 5–7 years to develop, even after social language appears fluent.

Question 5

Which of the following is a key principle of sheltered instruction (SIOP)?

Accepted Answer

Posting and addressing both content and language objectives in every lesson

Answer

SIOP requires dual objectives—content and language—to be explicitly stated and addressed so ELLs understand both what they are learning and how language is used.

(ALT) Alternative Learning Teacher Certification Practice Test

(ALT) Alternative Learning Teacher Certification Practice Test

ALT Teaching English Language Learners 3