CTEL Second Language Acquisition Theories Flashcards

Which scenario demonstrates 'positive transfer' from a student's L1 to English?

Answer: A Spanish speaker correctly using cognates like 'nation/nación' to aid reading comprehension

Positive transfer occurs when L1 knowledge facilitates L2 performance; Spanish-English cognates provide a direct benefit because the shared vocabulary aids comprehension.

Gardner and Lambert's distinction between 'integrative' and 'instrumental' motivation is most relevant to CTEL teachers because:

Answer: Understanding motivation type helps teachers tailor support and build learner investment

While both motivation types can drive acquisition, recognizing whether a student is motivated by cultural belonging or practical goals helps teachers design more relevant and supportive instruction.

The 'Threshold Hypothesis' proposed by Cummins suggests that bilingual students achieve cognitive advantages only when:

Answer: They reach a sufficiently high level of proficiency in both languages

Cummins' Threshold Hypothesis proposes that cognitive benefits of bilingualism emerge only after learners reach a threshold level of competence in both languages; limited proficiency in both yields no advantage.

A newcomer ELL student who is silent in class for several months but absorbs language before producing it is most likely experiencing:

Answer: The preproduction/silent period described in Krashen's natural order

Krashen's stages of L2 development begin with a preproduction or silent period during which learners actively comprehend input before producing output—a normal developmental phase.

Which of the following best explains why ELLs often make more errors in formal writing than in informal speaking, contrary to what is expected?

Answer: Students apply the Monitor too aggressively in writing, causing over-editing errors

Over-reliance on the Monitor during writing can cause learners to introduce new errors by second-guessing correct intuitive forms, a phenomenon Krashen acknowledged as Monitor over-use.

Dynamic Systems Theory (DST) applied to SLA views language development as:

Answer: A complex, nonlinear system influenced by many interacting internal and external variables

DST views language acquisition as an emergent, nonlinear process in which multiple factors—motivation, input, context, learner state—interact and cause variability over time.

When designing a lesson grounded in sociocultural SLA theory, a CTEL-certified teacher would most likely:

Answer: Structure peer collaboration tasks where more capable peers scaffold less proficient ones

Sociocultural theory emphasizes that learning occurs through social interaction, particularly when a more capable peer or adult provides scaffolding within the learner's ZPD.