CLAD Core Concepts & Fundamentals 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which term describes the process by which immigrants gradually adopt the cultural norms of their host country while potentially losing elements of their native culture?
- Acculturation
- Assimilation (Correct answer)
- Enculturation
- Transculturation
Correct answer: Assimilation
Assimilation is the process by which an individual or group fully adopts the culture of another group, often at the expense of their original culture.
Question 2: The term 'additive bilingualism' refers to a situation where:
- A student learns a second language at the expense of the first
- A second language is acquired without formal instruction
- A second language is added while the first language continues to develop (Correct answer)
- Two languages are merged into a single hybrid system
Correct answer: A second language is added while the first language continues to develop
Additive bilingualism occurs when learning a second language enriches a student's linguistic repertoire without diminishing the first language.
Question 3: In Cummins' framework, which proficiency level allows students to engage in academic tasks requiring abstract thinking and context-reduced communication?
- BICS
- CALP (Correct answer)
- SIOP
- SDAIE
Correct answer: CALP
CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency) refers to the higher-order language skills needed for academic success in content areas.
Question 4: A student who consistently applies the grammar rules of their first language when producing sentences in their second language is demonstrating:
- Code-switching
- Language transfer (Correct answer)
- Interlanguage fossilization
- Semantic mapping
Correct answer: Language transfer
Language transfer (or L1 interference) occurs when a learner applies linguistic patterns from their first language to their second language.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes 'comprehensible input' as defined by Stephen Krashen?
- Language that is slightly above the learner's current proficiency level (Correct answer)
- Language delivered exclusively through visual aids
- Phonetically simplified speech used by native speakers
- Academic vocabulary taught in isolation
Correct answer: Language that is slightly above the learner's current proficiency level
Krashen's Input Hypothesis (i+1) posits that language acquisition occurs when learners receive input that is just one step beyond their current level of understanding.
Question 6: The 'silent period' in second language acquisition refers to:
- A mandated quiet time used in structured immersion classrooms
- An early phase where learners listen and absorb language before producing it (Correct answer)
- A period of language regression caused by emotional trauma
- The gap between oral fluency and academic literacy development
Correct answer: An early phase where learners listen and absorb language before producing it
The silent period is a natural, early stage of language acquisition during which learners build receptive knowledge before they begin producing output.
Question 7: Which statement best characterizes a 'sheltered instruction' classroom?
- English learners are taught exclusively in their home language
- Grade-level academic content is made accessible through language support strategies (Correct answer)
- Students are separated from native speakers for all subjects
- Grammar drills are the primary method of instruction
Correct answer: Grade-level academic content is made accessible through language support strategies
Sheltered instruction delivers content-area curriculum to English learners using strategies like visuals, scaffolding, and modified language to make material comprehensible.
CLAD Core Concepts & Fundamentals 2
Which term describes the process by which immigrants gradually adopt the cultural norms of their host country while potentially losing elements of their native culture?