CTEL Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield CTEL facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. Which of the following is an example of a derivational morpheme? → -ness (forming a noun)
2. A newcomer ELL student who is silent in class for several months but absorbs language before producing it is most likely experiencing: → The preproduction/silent period described in Krashen's natural order
3. The 'Output Hypothesis' proposed by Merrill Swain argues that language production helps acquisition by: → Forcing learners to notice gaps in their linguistic knowledge
4. Which of the following describes the linguistic concept of pragmatics? → The study of how context influences the interpretation of meaning.
5. A SDAIE teacher consistently previews key vocabulary before a lesson using visuals and native language support. This practice BEST reflects which principle? → Frontloading instruction to reduce cognitive overload and build schema
6. Which theory of language acquisition emphasizes the role of social interaction and the Zone of Proximal Development? → Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory
7. Which of the following best describes 'washback' in language assessment? → The influence that a test has on teaching and learning practices
8. Which practice best supports English learners in developing reading fluency? → Repeated reading of familiar texts with corrective feedback
9. Which of the following factors is a PSYCHOLOGICAL influence on language development? → Learner motivation and language learning anxiety
10. Which approach is most effective when a school community includes families with varying levels of formal schooling and literacy in any language? → Offer multiple communication modes including oral, visual, and home-language options
11. A teacher notices that her Beginning EL students struggle with academic writing tasks. Which planning strategy would be MOST effective? → Plan sentence frames and paragraph templates as scaffolds before the writing task
12. In syntax, what is a 'garden-path sentence'? → A sentence that misleads the reader before requiring reanalysis
13. Which community resources are most valuable for newly arrived EL families? → Settlement services, ESL classes, and culturally familiar community organizations
14. A student can decode words fluently but cannot summarize a passage. According to the Simple View of Reading, this student's gap is in: → Linguistic comprehension
15. A student who arrived in the US at age 12 with interrupted schooling is MOST likely to struggle with: → Academic language and content literacy
16. When a bilingual student uses both languages within a single conversation or sentence, this is known as: → Code-switching
17. Which ELD strategy is MOST aligned with Krashen's Input Hypothesis? → Providing comprehensible input slightly above the student's current level (i+1)
18. Long's Interaction Hypothesis adds to Krashen's Input Hypothesis by emphasizing the role of: → Two-way interaction in producing comprehensible input
19. The concept of 'third space' in culturally responsive teaching refers to: → A hybrid learning environment that merges home culture and school culture
20. When designing family workshops for EL communities, teachers should prioritize: → Accessible language, visual supports, and translated materials
21. A school's ELPAC scores show that 40% of its ELs scored at the Emerging level in Speaking. The MOST data-driven next step is to: → Design targeted oral language development routines integrated into content instruction
22. What is the term for words that have opposite meanings (e.g., hot/cold, tall/short)? → Antonyms
23. Which concept describes the idea that language shapes or influences thought? → Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis
24. Which of the following should a student focus on the most in order to become a competent writer? → audience and purpose
25. During Designated ELD time, which activity is MOST appropriate for students at the Emerging proficiency level? → Engaging in structured partner talk using sentence frames about a familiar topic
26. Which language feature refers to the ability to communicate about topics not present in the immediate context, including the past and future? → Displacement
27. A school is implementing 'culturally sustaining pedagogy.' This approach differs from culturally relevant pedagogy primarily because it: → Aims to perpetuate and foster linguistic and cultural pluralism as part of schooling
28. What does 'construct validity' mean in the context of EL assessment? → The test measures the language skill it claims to measure
29. Krashen's Input Hypothesis suggests that language acquisition occurs when learners are exposed to input that is: → Slightly beyond their current proficiency (i+1)
30. What does the term 'diglossia' refer to in sociolinguistics? → The use of two distinct language varieties for different social functions