CLAD Foundations of ELD Instruction 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which term describes the stage at which an English learner can use English for academic tasks but may still make grammatical errors under cognitive load?
- Preproduction
- Intermediate fluency (Correct answer)
- Early production
- Speech emergence
Correct answer: Intermediate fluency
Intermediate fluency is characterized by the ability to perform academic tasks in English with some continued errors, especially under complex cognitive demands.
Question 2: According to Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), what is the optimal instructional target for ELLs?
- Tasks the student can do independently
- Tasks slightly beyond current ability with support (Correct answer)
- Tasks at the student's frustration level
- Tasks already mastered by the student
Correct answer: Tasks slightly beyond current ability with support
The ZPD represents tasks a student cannot yet do alone but can accomplish with scaffolded support, making it the ideal instructional target.
Question 3: Which model of ELD instruction separates language development from content instruction, providing English learners with dedicated English language practice?
- Sheltered Instruction
- Designated ELD (Correct answer)
- Integrated ELD
- Bilingual Education
Correct answer: Designated ELD
Designated ELD is a protected instructional period focused specifically on developing English language skills, distinct from content-area instruction.
Question 4: A teacher notices an ELL student who speaks fluently but struggles with writing persuasive essays. This gap most likely reflects a difference between:
- BICS and CALP (Correct answer)
- L1 and L2 phonology
- Receptive and expressive vocabulary
- Decoding and fluency
Correct answer: BICS and CALP
BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills) develops faster than CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency), which is needed for academic writing tasks.
Question 5: Which approach to ELD instruction embeds language objectives into content-area lessons so students develop English while learning subject matter?
- Pull-out ESL
- Designated ELD
- Integrated ELD (Correct answer)
- Submersion
Correct answer: Integrated ELD
Integrated ELD embeds English language development within content-area instruction, helping students develop language through meaningful academic contexts.
Question 6: Which sociocultural factor most significantly affects the rate at which an English learner acquires academic language proficiency?
- Student's eye color
- Opportunities for meaningful interaction in English (Correct answer)
- The number of textbooks available
- Classroom temperature
Correct answer: Opportunities for meaningful interaction in English
Meaningful interaction in English, including academic discourse and peer collaboration, is one of the most significant sociocultural drivers of language acquisition.
Question 7: When a student transfers knowledge of narrative text structure from Spanish to English writing, this phenomenon is called:
- Interlanguage
- Positive transfer (Correct answer)
- Fossilization
- Code-switching
Correct answer: Positive transfer
Positive transfer occurs when skills or structures from the first language facilitate learning in the second language, such as transferring text structure knowledge.
CLAD Foundations of ELD Instruction 2
Which term describes the stage at which an English learner can use English for academic tasks but may still make grammatical errors under cognitive load?